Panic and grief gripped residents of Plateau State on Wednesday after gunmen reportedly attacked mourners during a mass burial in the Nding Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, leaving many feared dead and several others injured.
The victims were said to have gathered to bury seven persons earlier killed in a separate attack on the community when the assailants struck.
Sources said the attackers, who had allegedly positioned themselves on surrounding hills, launched the assault in the afternoon, opening fire on mourners as they dug graves for the deceased.
An eyewitness, identified as a journalist, Masara Kim, told our correspondent via telephone that multiple communities were under simultaneous attacks at the time of the incident.
According to him, the burial ceremony had barely commenced when the gunmen descended on the area, forcing mourners to hastily inter the bodies before fleeing for safety.
“There is an ongoing massive attack on communities south of Jos. More than five communities are being attacked at the same time.
While we were at the burial ground, the attackers came down from the hills and started shooting,” he said.
Kim disclosed that a man was killed in his presence, adding that local vigilantes, equipped with hunting rifles and crude weapons, were unable to repel the attackers.
He further stated that he narrowly escaped the scene as residents fled in different directions, noting that the casualty figure remained unclear due to the confusion that trailed the incident.
Also speaking, the Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwong, described the situation as dire, saying efforts were ongoing to evacuate those trapped in the affected communities.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.