BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – Not less than 14 villagers and a mobile Police officer were killed in two separate attacks carried out on on Thursday evening by some gunmen in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State
Reliable sources confirmed that one of the attacks occurred at about 4:00 pm as the victims, mostly from the Chirang community, were returning from Bokkos market to Mangor village in the locality.
The Chairman of Community Peace Observers (CPO) in Bokkos, Kefas Mallai, who confirmed the unfortunate incident to reporters, said, “Yes, it is true. There was an attack on our people about 4:00 pm this evening.
“Fourteen natives were ambushed and killed by suspected terrorists while three others were injured on their way from Bokkos Market to Mangor Village of Bokkos Local Government.”
According to Mallai, security officials have already taken over control of the area to ensure the safety of the community.
He lamented that the attack came on the heels of an earlier incident in the day, where a mobile Police officer was killed at his duty post.
It was gathered that the Police operative was manning a checkpoint along Richa Road in the same Bokkos Local Government when the attackers struck and killed him.
Describing the situation as “very unfortunate”, the CPO Chairman further said, “Our hearts are bleeding because early this morning, on 24th July, 2015, a MOPOL was killed at his duty post (checkpoint) along Richa road, Bokkos LGA. This is what happened in Bokkos today”.
Reacting to the attacks, Chairman of Bokkos Local Government Area, Amalau Amalau, who explained that he was driving when a call was put through to him, described the situation as an “emergency”, saying, “We have an emergency in Bokkos following attacks on our people.
“Right now, we are taking the victims to the Jos University Teaching Hospital. Let’s talk later, please.”
Though the spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, was not immediately available for comments, insider sources at the Command headquarters, hinted that more security operatives have been deployed in the troubled areas to bring the situation under control.
Meanwhile, in condemning the killings and latest rounds of deadly attacks by the so-called unknown gunmen, some residents of the affected areas urged the Federal Government to urgently considered the mounting calls for the establishment of State police.
