Source: News Band
Plateau State has once again been plunged into mourning following a deadly attack in Zurak village, Wase Local Government Area, where at least 40 civilians were killed in the early hours of Monday.
According to a local vigilante leader, Tongwe, who spoke to Channels Television via telephone, the assailants stormed the village while residents were asleep, opening fire indiscriminately. “They came in the wee hours of the morning and started shooting at innocent people who were jolted from their sleep,” he recounted.
Tongwe, who was on a routine patrol with other local vigilantes and security operatives in a neighboring community at the time of the incident, said they rushed to the scene upon hearing gunshots. A gun battle ensued, and the attackers were eventually repelled, but not before they had unleashed widespread carnage.
“By the time we got there, the damage had already been done,” he lamented. “Thirty-six people were confirmed dead on the spot, while four others succumbed to their injuries later.”
Several other villagers sustained gunshot wounds and are currently receiving medical attention at a local hospital.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies in Plateau State have yet to release an official statement on the incident.
This latest massacre comes less than two weeks after a similar attack in Bokkos Local Government Area, where over 50 lives were lost, underscoring the growing insecurity in the state and the urgent need for enhanced protection of vulnerable communities.
