At least 15 people, including 14 villagers and a mobile police officer, were killed on Thursday in separate attacks by armed assailants in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The first attack occurred around 4:00 p.m. as residents of Chirang community were returning from Bokkos Market to Mangor village.
Armed men reportedly ambushed their vehicle, killing 14 and injuring three others.
Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos, Kefas Mallai, confirmed the incident to The PUNCH on Thursday evening.
“Yes, it is true. Fourteen natives were ambushed and killed by suspected terrorists while three others sustained injuries on their way back from Bokkos Market,” Mallai stated.
Earlier that same day, a mobile police officer on duty at a checkpoint along Richa Road in Bokkos was shot dead. The attack, Mallai said, left the community shaken.
“Our hearts are bleeding. On the morning of July 24, a MOPOL officer was killed at his duty post along Richa road. It has been a dark day for Bokkos,” he lamented.
Amalau Amalau, Chairman of Bokkos Local Government Area, also confirmed the incidents, describing the situation as an “emergency.”
“I’m currently on the road.
We are moving victims to Jos University Teaching Hospital.
This is a serious situation,” he told our correspondent briefly.
Efforts to reach the Plateau State Police Command spokesman, Alabo Alfred, were unsuccessful as his phone was switched off. However, sources at the command confirmed that additional security personnel have been deployed to the affected areas to restore order.
The attacks have sparked fresh calls for the creation of state police.
Residents, including Choji Bulus from Barkin Ladi, urged the Federal Government to act swiftly.
“Enough lives have been lost. The Federal Government and National Assembly must urgently consider establishing state police to curb the recurring violence in Plateau and across the country,” Bulus said.