Approximately 30 individuals were tragically killed in Plateau State when armed assailants attacked Kwahaslalek village in the Mangu Local Government Area.
This devastating incident occurred during the early hours of Wednesday.
The victims, who were predominantly women and children, sought refuge at the residence of a community leader on Tuesday night due to previous unrest in Mangu town.
However, the gunmen discovered their location and mercilessly took the lives of all those present. Mark Haruna, a community leader in the area, has verified this heartbreaking event.
Haruna said, “What happened at Sabon Gari and Mangu town yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) was just a distraction so that the attention of the people will be shifted away from the villages.
“For the second time, my village Kwahaslalek (behind NYSC camp) came under attack by gunmen yesterday (Tuesday) night. They came at about 12:30 am and killed over 25 people, mostly women and children.”
Joseph Gwankat, the Chairman of Mwaghavul Development Association, has confirmed the killing and condemned it as a heartless act.
“I couldn’t sleep last night as a result of what happened in Mangu town during the day yesterday. Now, I have just been told Kwahaslalek village was attacked last night and about 30 people were killed.
“From what I was told, the unrest in Mangu town yesterday created fears in many communities. Some people in the village went and evacuated their loved ones and assembled them in a place where they thought was safe.
“So in the night, the killers went to Kwahaslalek village where the people mostly women and children were assembled and killed all of them,” he said.
The chairman who condemned the killing added, “I was told that no security was on ground to save the villagers. This act is pure wickedness. How can people who are in their villages be targets of constant attacks and killings without anything being done to stop the perpetrators?”
The Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, announced a 24-hour curfew on the Mangu LGA due to the worsening security situation. This includes incidents such as the burning of numerous houses, churches, and mosques.
