No fewer than 15 people were killed in separate attacks on communities in Jos South, Mangu and Riyom Local Government Areas of Plateau State on Sunday night, with nine of the victims among passengers travelling to Jos.
The attacks occurred in different locations, with nine passengers killed after gunmen opened fire on their vehicle at Dungus community in Jos South Local Government Area. Two other people were killed in Mangu, while another two were reportedly killed in Riyom.
Rwang Tengwong, spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders, confirmed the Dungus attack to PUNCH Online by phone from Jos.
“The incident happened around 9.40 p.m. The victims were all passengers travelling to Jos when the terrorists opened fire on the vehicle. Among those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow. It is a very sad development, and we lament the loss of lives,” Tengwong said.
According to him, some passengers survived the shooting with gunshot wounds and were taken to hospitals, but some later died from their injuries.
“It was a vehicle carrying passengers to Jos. The attackers opened fire on them, and some of the victims were killed,” he added.
A resident of Dungus, Musa Dauda, also confirmed that some of the injured passengers later died while receiving treatment.
“Some of the passengers who were injured were taken to the hospital, but some of them died while receiving treatment. Others are still in the hospital receiving treatment,” Dauda said.
In Mangu Local Government Area, suspected terrorists reportedly attacked Vodni in Pushit District during the night, killing two people. Four others sustained gunshot injuries and were receiving treatment at a hospital in Mangu town.
Two more people were reportedly killed in a separate attack at Tahoos in Riyom Local Government Area around the same period.
At the time the report was filed, the spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, and the Media Officer of Operation Enduring Peace, Chinonso Oteh, had not responded to enquiries about the attacks.