A group of armed men attacked Kwahaslalek village and nearby areas in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing at least 25 people and burning down several houses.
The attack happened around midnight on Wednesday, despite the 24-hour curfew imposed by Governor Caleb Mutfwang to prevent further violence in the region.
The governor had declared the curfew on Tuesday, following a sectarian clash in Mangu town and Sabon Gari, both in Mangu LGA.
However, a local resident, Hosea Ibrahim, said that the clash was a diversion to draw attention away from the villages, which were targeted for the second time by the bandits.
He said that most of the victims were women and children, who sought refuge in a community leader’s house, but were killed by the assailants.
Kwahaslalek village is close to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) permanent orientation camp at Jakatai, Mangu LGA. A security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the bandits arrived in a vehicle and stormed the village, while the security forces were alerted too late.
He said that Mangu town was calm, but other communities in Mangu Halle District and on the borders of Mangu and Barkin Ladi LGAs had been deserted.
The Media Officer of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), which is responsible for security in Plateau and Bauchi States and some parts of Southern Kaduna, Captain James Oya, could not be reached for comment, as his phone was switched off.
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