Gunmen attack a mining site in Plateau and kill three people
The attack took place at Jol community in Riyom Local Government Area on Tuesday evening, two days after five people were killed in nearby Barkin Ladi.
Three people have been killed after gunmen attacked a mining site in Jol community, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, according to Daily Trust and Daily Post.
The attack happened at about 6pm on Tuesday, when the assailants stormed the site and opened fire, forcing workers to flee. An unspecified number of people were injured. A resident, Bulus Shen, said the gunmen arrived in the evening and began shooting sporadically, and that the attack threw the community into panic.
The Berom Youth Moulders Association spokesman, Rwang Tengwong, confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday morning. He described the killings as disturbing and unacceptable, and urged security agencies to investigate urgently, arrest those responsible and strengthen security in rural communities to prevent further loss of life.
Daily Trust said the spokesman for Operation Enduring Peace, Captain Polycarp Oteh, and the Plateau State Police Command did not respond to its inquiries before publication.
The attack came two days after five people, including a soldier, were killed around Sho community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area. Daily Trust reports that violence has continued in several Plateau local government areas, including Mangu, Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Bassa, even after the state government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the affected areas on September 21.
The Whistler Newspaper reported that the assailants stormed the site and shot at people, triggering panic in the community, and described the incident as the latest outbreak of violence in the state. Vanguard said its efforts to get details from security operatives were unsuccessful at the time of its report.
Daily Trust and The Whistler both say Berom and Fulani communities have traded accusations over attacks and killings in several parts of Plateau, and that the curfew has not stopped the violence. The two outlets list Mangu, Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Bassa as the local government areas where attacks have recurred.
None of the reports reviewed by NNN mentioned an arrest in connection with either the Jol attack or the earlier attack at Sho, and the identity of the gunmen has not been established by the authorities. The Berom Youth Moulders Association is asking for stronger security in rural communities, and for those responsible to be investigated and arrested.
SOURCE: Daily Trust
