Suspected gunmen have killed five persons in Mbar village, Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State, on Sunday night.
The tragic event was confirmed by Barrister Farmasum Fuddang and Ambassador Duwam Bosco, Chairman and Secretary of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council Vanguard, BCDCV, in a statement released on Monday in Jos
The BCDCV condemned the incident expressing frustration that the attack occurred despite intelligence reports about suspected terrorists moving into the area. The statement disclosed that the victims were ambushed between 7:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. while traveling from Mbar town to Koh village. The attackers, fleeing terrorists on motorcycles, had reportedly been repelled earlier by the military from nearby mountains.
The gunmen completed their assault and fled before security forces could intervene. This attack followed another recent incident on September 3, where 11 youths were killed in the nearby villages of Tarangol, Daffo, and Bargesh, indicating a pattern of violence in the region.
The BCDCV accused the attackers of trying to displace the community from their ancestral lands and called for greater local involvement in security measures. They believe that local residents could provide valuable intelligence to assist military efforts. The group extended their condolences to the families of the victims and urged their community to remain vigilant, vowing to resist any attempts to drive their people from their homes.
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Meanwhile, in a recent development, troops of Operation SAFE HAVEN have arrested five suspected notorious gunrunners and recovered a significant cache of arms and ammunition in a coordinated, intelligence-driven operation in Plateau State. The operation, aimed at mopping up illegal arms in the Joint Operations Area, took place between the night of September 16 and the early hours of September 17, 2024.
The reports disclosed that the troops raided the hideout of a suspected gunrunner, Mohammed Sani, located in the Naraguta Mining Area of Bayameni, along Bauchi Road in Jos North Local Government Area. During the raid, Mohammed Sani and four others were apprehended, and a variety of weapons and ammunition were seized.
The recovered items include, two AK-47 rifles, one Fabrique Nationale automatic rifle, 14 AK-47 magazines, one Fabrique Nationale magazine, 5,316 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition, 98 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition, and 43 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
The Army confirmed that the suspects are undergoing interrogation to provide intelligence that may lead to the arrest of other members of the gunrunning syndicate and help dismantle their supply chain.
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