No fewer than eight persons were reportedly killed while more than 10 others sustained injuries following an attack by gunmen on Gwon-Ajang village in Foron District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attack, according to residents, occurred at about 10 p.m. on Sunday when the assailants invaded the community and opened fire on villagers gathered for a social event.
Sources said the victims were attending a birthday celebration when the gunmen stormed the venue and began shooting indiscriminately, causing panic as residents fled for safety.
A youth from the community, Bishop Iliya, said the victims had gathered to celebrate the birthday of one of their members when the attackers struck.
According to him, the gunmen shot at people on sight, leaving several persons dead while others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
He lamented the recurring attacks on communities in the Plateau and called on security agencies to take urgent steps to safeguard lives and property.
“The people were gathered for a birthday celebration when the gunmen arrived and started shooting at everything in sight. It is a painful and unfortunate situation for our community,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Berom Youths Moulder-Association, BYM-A, confirmed the attack in a statement issued by its national publicity secretary, Rwang Tengwong.
The association alleged that the attack was carried out by armed terrorists and said at least eight persons were killed, while more than 10 others sustained severe injuries and were rushed to hospital for treatment.
The group expressed concern over the renewed violence in the area and called on security agencies to take decisive action to halt the attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The injured victims were said to have been evacuated to nearby health facilities, while security personnel were reportedly deployed to the area following the incident.
Efforts to reach the spokesman of the Plateau Police Command, SP Alfred Alabo, for comments were unsuccessful.
