Mangu (Plateau) – The Chairman of Mangu Local Government Area in Plateau State, Mr. Caleb Mutfwang, has confirmed that seven persons killed in recent attacks on some parts of the area.
Mutfwang told a news conference in Jos that the area witnessed some security challenges in which lives were lost.
He said the attacks occurred in Maitumbi, Jwak-Maitumbi, Kyampus, Mai-Rana, Sarbot and Kantoma villages and their immediate environs.
According to him, the enemies struck in the night of December 26 and shot one Mr. Yoila Micah dead in his residence in Jwak-Maitumbi.
He said that while the community was recovering from the attack, the gunmen struck again on Tuesday and shot two men riding on a motor-cycle, killing and beheading one Longji Mikyes while another unnamed person escaped with gunshot wounds.
Mutfwang said the killing precipitated violence in parts of the local government and attracted the attention of the Special Task Force (STF) which moved in to ensure peace.
He, however, said that following the killings, some youths tracked the killers by tracing the blood mark to the house of one Alhaji Wada, a Fulani resident of the community.
“Upon their request to search the house, someone came out with a gun and shot randomly at the youths injuring some of them.
“Angered by this reaction, the youths went on rampage and burnt some house belonging to Fulani residents and causing the death of a Fulani man on a visit from Barkin Ladi.
“Not surprising, the Fulani mobilised at night and attacked some of the other communities, resulting in the death of four people, burning of houses and properties, and throwing up a lot of internally displaced persons,“ he said.