Gunmen Kill Nine Persons, Raze Six Houses in Plateau

Gunmen have killed nine persons and burnt down six houses in Sabon Gari community in Mangu Local Government Area of the Plateau state.

Mr. Jerry Datim, one of the leaders in the community, disclosed this via telephone to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Jos.

Datim, who is the National President of the Global Society for Middle Belt Heritage, said the attack occurred on Saturday night.

He said nine bodies have been recovered so far and the search is still on for some missing persons.

Datim, however, commended personnel of Operation Rainbow, a local security outfit in the state, for responding swiftly to the attack and called on the government to support them with necessary logistics for prompt response.

Asked if residents had deserted the community, Datim said that they had resolved to remain and defend their ancestral lands.

Capt. James Oya, the Spokesperson of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), a Special Military Task Force, confirmed the incident.

Oya, who didn’t confirm the number of deaths, said that the Commander of the Operation, Maj.-Gen. Abdusalam Abubakar was leading troops to the scene of the attack.