Plateau: Over 40 Killed In Ex-Deputy Speaker, Wase Community By Bandits

Suspected bandits have killed over 40 people in Wase Local government area of Plateau state, Nigerian Tribune reports.

Many other residents of the community were also believed to have sustained serious injuries in the wake of the attack, including several buildings razed by the criminals

The development is the latest in the recurrent attacks on the state by the bandits, whose operations have left many residents homeless.

Tribune Online learned that bandits armed with sophisticated weapons at about 7:00 p.m. on Monday attacked Zurak village on motorcycles and opened fire on everyone on site.

An eyewitness, Abdullahi Musa, who escaped the attack narrated that the attack was unexpected, adding that the vigilantes in the community who tried to wade off the attack were subdued by the superior force of the marauders.

“The attack came to us as a surprise because we have no issue with them. They came in large numbers and opened fire on the residents at random, killing more than 40 people. The majority of those killed were vigilantes.

“Several houses were equally burned in the course of the deadly operation. We could not alert security agencies on time because of a bad communication network, so it took several hours before they could come to our aid.”

The attack lasted for more than an hour with some residents of the community, mostly women, injured and receiving treatment at the nearby hospital.

However, a youth leader in the area, Mallam Sahpi’i Sambo, who confirmed the incident, said the bandits arrived at the community on motorcycles and killed more than 40 people, leaving many others injured.

It was also learned that the community is now deserted, as the inhabitants have run for cover in the neighboring communities and the capital of the local government area.

Recall that no fewer than 145 persons were reported killed in bandits’ attacks on 23 villages in Plateau State last December.

Barely a month after in January this year the suspected bandits returned to attack the same community killing 15 persons.

The people of the community appear to have lost the confidence in the government to protect them from the invaders, close watchers of the Governor  Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang-led state said.