At least 15 people have been killed in renewed attacks by gunmen in Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas of Plateau State, reigniting tensions in the already volatile region.
The deadly incidents occurred on Thursday night in two separate communities: Manja in Chakfem Kingdom, Mangu LGA, and Tangur in Bokkos LGA. Residents say the attacks happened at different times, with the Tangur assault reportedly taking place around 9:00 p.m. when most people were already indoors. The Manja attack occurred earlier in the evening.
Eyewitnesses told Daily Trust that the assailants stormed the communities and began shooting sporadically while breaking into homes. The gunmen reportedly operated for a considerable time before fleeing the scenes undetected.
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Local sources confirmed that eight people were killed in Tangur, Bokkos LGA, while seven were killed in Manja, Mangu LGA.
Shohotden Mathias Ibrahim, Director of Culture for the Mwaghavul Development Association and also Director at the IDP (Pilot Science) Camp in Mangu, confirmed the death toll in the Mangu incident. He noted that the community remains on edge following the attack.
Efforts to reach community leaders in Bokkos were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report, with several messages still awaiting responses.
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The Plateau State Police Command’s spokesperson, DSP Alfred Alabo, was also unreachable for comment. Calls and text messages sent to him via SMS and WhatsApp had not been returned by Friday morning.
The latest violence comes amid ongoing calls for a lasting solution to the persistent insecurity that has plagued various parts of Plateau State, despite increased security presence in recent months.
