Three people were killed and one injured on Friday when suspected gunmen attacked Nyamgo Gyel in the Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The incident occurred barely 48 hours after President Bola Tinubu visited Plateau State and promised justice and protection to families of victims of the Angwan Rukuba attack, where 26 people were killed on Sunday night.
The victims Luka Sandu Pam, 36, Samuel Davou, 38, and Deme Saidu, 35, were reportedly attacked while returning from Gero on motorcycles.
Witnesses said the victims were among about 15 youths returning from a mining site when they were ambushed by the gunmen.
The Gyel youth leader, Dung Davou, said the group came under sudden attack by suspected herdsmen, forcing them to flee.
“We started hearing sporadic gunshots, and everyone scattered. Unfortunately, three of our people were killed,”Davou said, urging authorities to address the repeated attacks.
The Chairman of the Berom Youth Moulder Association, Solomon Dalyop, also condemned the killings, describing them as a grim reflection of worsening insecurity in Plateau State.
“These young men went to mark Good Friday and were returning home when they were ambushed and killed. This is heartbreaking,” he said.
Mr Dalyop added that community leaders recently held a security meeting with members of the Fulani community at the Sector 2 Command of the Nigerian Army in Jos South, where concerns were raised over the movement of unidentified persons around Gero, Rafin Bauna and Dutsen Kura in the Miyango-Bassa axis.
“We were informed about suspicious mobs in these areas and we have since cautioned our people to be vigilant, especially at night,” he said.
He warned that the situation could worsen if urgent action is not taken.
He stated, “If nothing serious is done, this may just be the beginning of more attacks. Armed groups are taking over our bushes.”
He added that only the police responded after the attack and took the injured victim to a hospital.
Residents called for increased security deployment and heightened vigilance as preparations begin for the burial of the victims.
Efforts to speak with the state police spokesperson, Alfred Alabo, on the latest were unsuccessful as of the time this report was filed.
