At least eight persons have been 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.
Residents said the attack 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, throwing the community into panic as residents fled for safety.
A youth from the area, Bishop Iliya, said the victims were 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 dead while others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
“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.
He lamented the recurring attacks in Plateau communities and called on security agencies to urgently intervene and protect residents from further violence.
Meanwhile, the Berom Youths Moulder-Association (BYM-A) confirmed the attack in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong.
The group alleged that the attackers were armed terrorists, adding that at least eight persons were killed while more than 10 others sustained severe injuries and were taken to hospital.
The association expressed concern over the renewed violence in the area and urged security agencies to take decisive action to halt the attacks and bring perpetrators to justice.
The injured victims were reportedly evacuated to nearby health facilities, while security personnel were deployed to the area following the incident.
Efforts to reach the spokesman of the Plateau State Police Command, SP Alfred Alabo, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
