96 persons were killed while 221 houses were set ablaze during the Christmas Eve attacks by gunmen in Plateau State, Plateau State Police Command revealed.
The State Commissioner of Police, Okoro Alawari, made this disclosure on Tuesday in a statement signed by the command’s spokesman, Alfred Alabo.
Alawari stated that the attacks that were carried out by the assailants in 15 communities of Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas of the state also left eight vehicles burnt in the process.
The statement read, “The Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, CP Okoro Alawari expresses grief over the deadly attacks that took place in some remote villages of Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State carried out by some yet-to-identified assailants on December 24, 2023, at odd hours of the night, and sympathises with the families of those who lost their loved ones in the gruesome attack.
“On December 24, 2023, at 2200hrs, the following 12 villages in Bokkos LGA were attacked; Ndun, Ngyong, Murfet, Makundary, Tamiso, Chiang, Tahore, Gawarba, Dares, Meyenga, Darwat and Butura Kampani.
“Similarly, on December 24, 2023, at about 2245hrs, three villages in Barkin-Ladi LGA namely; NTV, Hurum and Darawat were also attacked.”
The statement said to prevent further carnage, the Commissioner of Police had directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations to relocate to Bokkos LGA and also deployed a team of operational forces to the troubled areas to prevent further attacks and assess the level of damages in the affected areas.
“Findings from the assessment of the ugly incidents in Bokkos LGA revealed that the total number of villages attacked is 12; 221 houses were set ablaze, 27 motorcycles were burnt, eight motor vehicles were burnt down and over 79 persons were killed while 17 deaths were recorded in Barkin-ladi LGA.
“Investigation and monitoring of the incidents are still on. Further development will be communicated soon,” the statement added.