Plateau Shootings: Police Confirms 14 Deaths, Leaders Insist  27

 

By Ayodele Oni 

Death toll from the sporadic shootings by  terrorists on a motorcycle in Plateau State, Sunday evening, has been put at 14.

Some community leaders have disputed police claim insisting that not less than 27 persons were  killed.

The Plateau State Police Command confirmed on Monday that 14 people were killed when gunmen attacked the area at about 8:30 p.m. 

According to the Command’s spokesperson, SP Alfred Alabo, an initial 12 victims — 10 men and two women — died at the scene, while two additional bodies were recovered during a search operation on Monday morning.

Alabo said security operatives combed nearby bushes while pursuing the attackers, who fled after the assault. 

He added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Bassey Ewah, led a team of senior officers and tactical units to the community alongside other security agencies to restore calm.

Authorities say joint operations are ongoing to track down the perpetrators, with intensified efforts aimed at making arrests. The bodies of the victims have been deposited in a mortuary, and investigations are continuing.

However, community leaders dispute the official figures, describing the toll as significantly higher. 

Barrister Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, said at least 27 people were feared dead.

Mwantiri claimed that 14 victims were killed on the spot, while 13 others later succumbed to injuries in hospital. He noted that the bodies had been returned to the community.

Condemning the attack, the youth leader described it as another tragic incident in a series of recurring security challenges in the state. He called on authorities to ensure those responsible are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.

Police have appealed to residents to provide credible information that could assist in ongoing investigations.

The people had earlier Monday morning defied the 24 hours curfew imposed by the state government to protest against the killings, insisting that curfew cannot solve the prevailing security situation.

Joyce Lohya Ramnap, Commissioner for Information and Communication, had in a statement, stated that “The Plateau State Government in conjunction with security agencies wishes to inform the general public of the imposition of a 48 hour curfew within Jos North Local government Area with immediate effect,commencing from 12 midnight of 29th March, to 1st April, 2026.

‎”The government under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang strongly condemns this barbaric and unprovoked attack on innocent citizens and assures the public that all necessary measures are being taken to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”