11 Killed, 13 Houses Burnt As Gunmen Raid Plateau Villages

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani invaded two settlements in Barakin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State killed no fewer than 11 persons, while two others were wounded in the wee hours of yesterday. 13 houses were also set ablaze during the invasion, sources stated. Based on what was gathered, the gunmen, entered Foron Barkin Kogi at about 1a.m., killing some of the villagers in their sleep and shooting at many others who tried to escape. An eyewitness, who survived the attack, stated that when they heard gunshots, they suspected that the invaders were approaching the village and some of them ran from their homes to hide in the bush. The source added that from their hiding place, they saw the gunmen enter their village, shooting at random and burning down houses. She said when they returned to the village after the attackers had gone, they counted 11 bodies, with some of them shot in their beds. The witness stated that the gunmen threatened to return for the rest of the villagers. Meanwhile, village sources confirmed that the victims were given mass burial yesterday, while the two wounded persons had been admitted at the Barakin Ladi General Hospital for treatment. When contacted, the Chairman of Barkin Ladi Local Government, Emmanuel Lomang, said the suspected Fulani gunmen killed 17 people, including women in Vat and 13 others were killed in Zakupang settlement of Bakin Kogi of Foron District of Barkin Local Government Area of the state in the early hours of yesterday. Spokesperson of the Special Task Force, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, also said that 11 people were killed and 13 houses burnt in the attack suspected to be a reprisal for an earlier raid and rustling of over 400 cows from the Fulani settlements in the area. He said when the Fulani settlement was raided sometime in March, the STF was able to recover 282 cows and returned them to the Fulani, with a promise that its men would search for the others and return them to their owners.