The Plateau State Police Command has provided grim details of the Christmas Eve attacks, revealing that 86 people lost their lives, 221 houses were set ablaze, and eight vehicles were burnt during the assaults by gunmen in Plateau State.
The State Commissioner of Police, Okoro Alawari, conveyed this information in a statement on Tuesday, signed by the command’s spokesman, Alfred Alabo. The attacks occurred in 15 communities spread across Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas of the state.
The statement expressed the Commissioner of Police’s grief over the tragic events and extended sympathies to the families affected by the attacks. The assaults took place in several villages, including Ndun, Ngyong, Murfet, Makundary, Tamiso, Chiang, Tahore, Gawarba, Dares, Meyenga, Darwat, and Butura Kampani in Bokkos LGA, as well as NTV, Hurum, and Darawat in Barkin-Ladi LGA.
To prevent further violence, the Commissioner of Police directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations to relocate to Bokkos LGA. Additionally, a team of operational forces was deployed to the affected areas to prevent further attacks and assess the extent of damages.
The assessment revealed that a total of 12 villages were attacked in Bokkos LGA, resulting in 221 houses set ablaze, 27 motorcycles burnt, and eight motor vehicles destroyed. In total, over 79 persons lost their lives, with an additional 17 deaths recorded in Barkin-Ladi LGA. The authorities are actively working to address the aftermath of the attacks and restore stability to the affected communities.