Plateau Deadly Attacks Persist, More Houses Burnt

Gunmen have continued their deadly attacks in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing a man and setting many buildings ablaze.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the attackers, described as gunmen, have descended on Ruboi and Marish communities in Bokkos Local Government Area, where at least 16 people were killed late on Sunday.

NAN learnt that the latest onslaught took place early on Monday, while residents of the two communities were still in bed.
The Public Relations Officer of the Plateau State Police Command, ASP Abuh Gabriel, confirmed the development, saying a man was killed in the latest attack.
Gabriel said, however, that security men had been deployed to the two communities and calm had been restored.
He said efforts were being made to unmask the perpetrators of the attack, which has been re-occurring in recent times.
Communities in Bokkos, bordering Mangu and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State have been under unrelenting siege by gunmen, who have been killing locals in some communities in North Central Nigeria.
A former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Titus Alams, who is a native of Rubio, told NAN on Tuesday that the attackers looted property after killing and burning the corpse of a man.

Alams said many residential buildings, shops and places of worship were also set ablaze.
He said: “The man who was killed and his corpse burnt was sick.
“That was why he could not run when others were running away during the attack.
“With yesterday’s attack, the number of people so far killed in a similar attack is now 16 in communities across Bokkos Local Government Area.”
Alams described the attacks as “shocking” and “unbelievable”, calling on security agents to come to the aid of people of the area.
He disclosed that the gunmen came on motorcycles and moved about looting and burning people’s houses, shops and places of worship.
He said: “My own house was partly burnt, while the family house of my former Chief of Staff, Mr. Reuben Musa-Mallah, was completely burnt down along with others.”
Alams expressed fear that if prompt action was not taken, other villages, including Mushu, Mile Bagwa, Manja and Marit, close to Mangu and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas, might also be attacked.
“These border communities need serious surveillance by security operatives, otherwise the attackers might also attack these areas like they have done to Rubio,” he stated.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Bokkos Local Government Council, Yusuf Machen, who corroborated the account given by Alams, described the attacks as “wicked” and “ungodly.”
Machen pleaded with the Federal and State Governments to come to the aid of the affected communities, saying many residents were now homeless and going without food.
“Most of the affected people are currently at the internally displaced persons’ camp in the Bokkos Council Secretariat.”