The Police Command in Plateau says 26 persons lost their lives following the Sunday night attack on Angwan Rukuba, a community in Jos North Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau.
Mr Bassey Ewah, the Commissioner of Police in the state, who made the confirmation on Monday in Jos, also stated that three persons were injured in the attack.
Ewah spoke when Gov. Caleb Mutfwang visited the community to commiserate with the victims’ families and the community.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that gunmen on Sunday night invaded the community in a commando-style attack, leaving dozens dead and some injured.
The commissioner, who described the situation as unfortunate, however, assured the people that the security agents would fish out the perpetrators.
Earlier, Mr Ciroma Samson, the Northern Zonal Coordinator of Plateau Youth Council (PYC), said that the incident occurred at about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Samson, who corroborated Ewah on the number of persons killed and injured, however, called on the government to be proactive in ensuring the safety of lives and property.
He said that according to eyewitnesses, the gunmen, 10 in number, came in a Sharon bus and began shooting at residents sitting or standing by the roadside.
“These are just innocent people who have done no wrong, but their lives were sniffed by the enemies of the land.
“But our government can do better; it is quite unfortunate that criminal elements will unleash this mayhem within an urban community and go unhindered.
“Government should deploy technology and other modern means to support the efforts of the security agencies in addressing the security challenges in the state,” he said.
The coordinator called on the government to compensate the families of the deceased persons, saying that the majority of those killed were the bread winners of their families.
NAN reports that after the governor’s visit, the bodies of the deceased, which had not been evacuated since the incident, were finally deposited at the mortuary. (NAN)
