Gunmen launched a deadly attack on mourners in Ruwi community, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing ten people in a brutal assault on Thursday night.
The mourners had gathered at a deceased family’s house in line with local tradition when the assailants struck, leaving seven women and three men dead. Eyewitnesses reported that many of the victims were hacked to death with machetes, while two other women sustained injuries.
Confirming the tragic incident, the Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos, Mr. Kefas Mallai, described the attack as a calculated ambush, taking advantage of the mourners’ vulnerability.
“It happened around 10 p.m. The victims were mostly women, and the attackers slaughtered them in cold blood. Security operatives were called, but unfortunately, they arrived after the assailants had fled,” Mallai stated.
He added that the community remains in shock and deep mourning, with residents gathering to grieve the devastating loss. Despite the tragic event, there have been no retaliatory attacks, and the larger Bokkos town remains calm.
Efforts to reach the Plateau State Police Command for an official response were unsuccessful, as the spokesperson, Alabo Alfred, was unreachable at the time of reporting.
The attack comes barely a week after a stakeholders' meeting involving farmers and herders was convened by the police to promote peace in the state.
