Gunmen on Thursday night attacked Mbwelle village in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing at least eight people, most of them members of the same family.
The victims were identified as Elder Iliya Mangut Dakus, Luck Titus Dakus, Habila Istifanu Dakus, Hassan Istifanus Dakus, Mrs Hassan Moses Dakus, Biggie Lucky Dakus, Sunday Gideon Dakus, and Innocent Barnabas Makwin.
Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos LGA, Kefas Mallai, confirmed the incident on Friday, stating that the attackers struck around 11pm, firing indiscriminately and leaving at least three others injured, while several residents remain unaccounted for.
“There was an attack last night at Mbwelle village, which is very close to Bokkos town. So far, eight persons have been confirmed dead,” Mallai said.
He added that the assault lasted for hours without any visible security response, fuelling anger among residents.
“The people are planning to protest because security operatives did not protect them. The attack went on for hours, yet there was no presence to repel the assailants until they left,” he said.
Mallai further alleged that security personnel were stationed in another nearby community believed by locals to be linked to the attackers, rather than responding to the ongoing assault.
Youth leader of Bokkos, Christopher Luka, also confirmed the killings, describing the incident as “a devastating attack on the people of Bokkos and Plateau State.”
“The gunmen came around 11pm and started shooting sporadically. They targeted one family. We have eight confirmed dead, several injured, and others still missing,” Luka said.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Plateau State Police Command spokesman, DSP Alfred Alabo, were unsuccessful, while the media officer of the Joint Military Taskforce, Chinonso Oteh, said he would respond later.
Bokkos and neighbouring local government areas have faced persistent security challenges in recent years.
The situation escalated further last week when the Berom Youth Moulders Association raised alarm over continued ambushes and killings in Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and Jos South LGAs.
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Rwang Tengwong, the group described the attacks as a coordinated campaign allegedly aimed at displacing communities from ancestral lands.
According to the association, gunmen on Wednesday ambushed travellers returning from mining activities along the Bokkos Road, killing Ayuba Pam and injuring two others.
In a separate incident the same evening, another resident, Christopher Joshua, was killed in an ambush along the Gwolhoss–Byei road in Riyom LGA.
The group expressed concern that such attacks continue on major rural routes despite security agencies being aware of known flashpoints, and called for intensified patrols and surveillance across vulnerable areas.
