Two soldiers, 28 others killed in fresh Plateau attack.


No fewer than 30 people were killed, when unknown gunmen attacked two communities in Riyom Local Government area of Plateau State. Among them were two soldiers, said to be personnel of the Special Task Force on security in Jos.



The latest incident is coming less than 24 hours after the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Olakpe, read the riot act to community leaders, threatening to arrest any of them who foments trouble in the community.

A local Chinese contractor was killed less than a week ago in the area that had been ridden with crisis for over a decade.

Eyewitnesses say the gunmen invaded Atakar and Rajat communities in their hundreds at about 3am on Tuesday.

Unspecified number of people were said to have been wounded, while many properties were burnt down during the attack. More than 60 houses were said to have been razed by the gunmen.

Confirming the incident, the member representing Riyom in the State House of Assembly, Mr. Daniel Dem, descried the incident as sad.

Dem said, “As we speak those killed have been given mass burial; Scores of persons were injured and have fled their homes to neighboring villages in Kaduna.”

He called on the federal government to deploy more troops and to begin aerial surveillance of the area in order to stop further attacks in the communities.

Efforts to reach the spokesman for the STF, Capt. Salisu Mustapha, were not successful as he did not pick the calls.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Felicia Anselm, confirmed the attack in the area.

She however, said that the reports she got did not indicate that anybody was killed.

Anselm said, “We got the report of an attack in the area, but the report I have on my table right now did not say that anybody was killed. I do not know of any other attack.”