At least 45 people have been confirmed dead and many others injured following a brutal attack on Zike Kimakpa community in Kwall District of Irigwe Chiefdom, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attack, which occurred on Sunday night, has left the community in grief and devastation.
Sources from the community revealed to Leadership that about 30 homes were also set ablaze by the rampaging gunmen. A resident said the assailants invaded the area and began shooting sporadically, causing widespread panic and chaos.
Danjuma Dickson Auta, the Secretary General of the Irigwe Development Association (IDA), confirmed the attack in a telephone interview, stating that over 45 bodies had been recovered, with the death toll still rising.
The Plateau State Government has strongly condemned the attack, describing it as unprovoked and alarming.
Hon. Joyce Ramnap, the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, called the incident “one too many,” adding that this series of attacks was posing an existential threat to the lives and livelihoods of the state’s peace-loving residents.
“It is sad that in less than two weeks after our people were killed in Bokkos Local Government, this sad incident is reoccurring in another community in Bassa Local Government,” Ramnap said. She emphasized that the attack was an attempt to disrupt the peace that had slowly returned to the state.
The Commissioner urged the peaceful people of Plateau, particularly those in the affected communities, to remain calm and vigilant, stressing that the state government, under Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s leadership, is committed to holding those responsible accountable.
Ramnap further advised against any reprisals, urging security operatives to focus on apprehending the perpetrators of these heinous attacks.
