Gunmen in the early hours of Wednesday defied the 24-hour curfew imposed by the Plateau State government to attack Kwahaslalek and the surrounding communities, killing no fewer than 25 persons and burning some property too.
Although the information was yet to be ascertained from official sources, a resident, Hosea Ibrahim, said the skirmish that happened in Mangu town was a decoy to pave the way for the attack on the community, which is not far from the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC permanent orientation camp at Jakatai, Mangu local government area.
His words: “What happened at Sabon Gari and Mangu on Tuesday was just a distraction so that people’s attention will be shifted away from the villages.
“For the second time, my village Kwahaslalek (behind the NYSC camp) was attacked at about 12:30, leaving over 25 people, mostly women and children, killed as houses were burned and some persons left with gunshots.
“At about midnight, there was a sporadic gunshot, and the women ran to one compound for safety; unfortunately, the terrorist went there and killed them while the men were keeping vigil outside the community. The victims were killed at a community leader’s house, where they ran for refuge.
“The Mariana, Kinat, and other communities in Mangu Halle District and those on the borders of Mangu and Barkin Ladi local government areas are deserted now.”
However, security personnel who preferred anonymity said, “Mangu town is calm, but we were called in the early hours of today about a development around the communities close to the NYSC camp; our people are there, but the deed has been done.
“The victims are mostly women and children; they ran to hide there because they thought the place was far and the attackers wouldn’t go there, but the attackers were conveyed in a vehicle and dropped there before they attacked.”
