Some communities in Barkin Ladi local government area of Plateau state on Saturday night came under multiple attacks by unknown gunmen leading to death of dozens, according to local sources.
However, the Plateau State Police Command said on Sunday that it could only confirm 11 casualties and that the corpses had been evacuated to the hospital where they were confirmed dead.
The attack is suspected to be the climax of weeks of tit-for-tat ambush killings between Berom locals and the Fulani communities in the council area.
Operation Safe Haven media and information officer Major Adam Umar who spoke to reporters while on the field said arrests have been made and that the taskforce had been able to repel the attackers.
He said casualty figures and the number of criminals arrested could not be ascertained at the time as the operation was ongoing in the general area.
However, the President, Berom Youth Movement in Barkin Ladi Dalyop Choji had told journalists that 72 corpses had been recovered with many still being discovered in nearby bushes.
He had said 31 corpses were recovered from Gashish village while 41 others from 12 neighbouring villages of Barkin Ladi LG
On its part, the Plateau State Government has condemned the attacks and sued for peace stressing that it had mobilised the full compliments of security forces to restore normalcy in the affected areas and the environs.
A statement issued by the State Commissioner of Information and Communication, Yakubu Dati noted that “Government is deeply pained that despite concerted efforts which had led to the restoration of relative peace across the state, some unpatriotic elements are bent on disrupting the gains so far made.”
