No fewer than five persons, including a church pastor and four others have been reportedly killed by gunmen in Kimakpa Village of Kwall District in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
National Publicity Secretary of Irigwe Development Association ((IDA), Sam Jugo who disclosed this in a statement, said the killing took place Monday night at about 12 midnight.
“We woke up this morning (Tuesday) to another sad one. In the middle of the night of 2nd June, 2024, criminal invaders attacked and killed five of our residents in cold blood at Kimakpa.
“The criminal elements who came in their numbers with heavy weapons killed a pastor of Assemblies of God Church, Kwall, Pastor Dauda Dalyop,” Jugo said in a statement.
He also named other victims killed by the assailants as Mrs Chummy Dauda, 57 years; Mr. Chwe Ajuhs, 26 years; Mr. Joshua Kusa, 45 years; and Mrs Rikwe Doro, 43 years old.
He added that two persons were severely injured and are currently undergoing treatment at home.
He however stated that troops of Operation Safe Haven were instantly mobilised to avert further genocide in the community, adding that Kwall District has since been thrown into uneasy calm.
This sad incident came just two days after some disgruntled elements ambushed some Rigwe youths on motorcycles while returning from Gero Mining Site and killed one Mr Irmiya Musa Timbi instantly while injuring one other severely.
The statement appealed for calm to enable the security agencies carry out their investigations.
“We should upscale our vigilance, avoid night movements to distant destinations and suppress the urge for reprisal or taking the law into our own hands and give the security agencies the benefit of the doubt.
“In as much as we are quite saddened by this condemnable incident, we cannot afford to aggravate the situation by seeking self-help at this time.
“We call on the security agencies to do the needful by fishing out the culprits so that those affected will see justice being served. That is the only way to restore the confidence of our people,” the statement said.
Our correspondent’s calls to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Plateau State Command, DSP Alfred Alabo were not successful at the time of filling this report.