Over 30 persons have been reportedly killed and several houses destroyed, yesterday, in the Kwahaslalek and the surrounding communities, as gunmen defied the 24-hour curfew imposed on Mangu Local Government Area by the Plateau State government, on Tuesday.

Recall that in response to the worsening security conditions in the area, Governor Caleb Mutfwang imposed a 24-hour curfew on Mangu, emphasising that only those performing necessary tasks were permitted to leave the local government till further notice.

However, in spite of the curfew, gunmen reportedly broke into Kwahaslalek and the surrounding area, murdering around thirty people and demolishing a number of homes and places of worship.

Sabon Layi area was the worst affected, as houses, worship centres and business premises were been razed, as citizens accused soldiers of aiding the carnage.

Though no information official confirmation, at the time of this report, a survivor, Hosea Ibrahim, said the skirmish at Mangu town was a decoy for the attack on the Kwahaslalek Community, not far from the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, permanent orientation camp at Jakatai, Mangu LGA.

According to him: “What happened at Sabon Gari and Mangu, on Tuesday, was just a distraction, so that people’s attention will be shifted away from the villages. For the second time, my village, Kwahaslalek (behind NYSC camp), was attacked at about 12.30am, leaving over 30 people, mostly women and children, dead, as houses were burnt and some persons left with gunshot wounds.
“At about midnight there was sporadic gunshots and women ran to one compound for safety. Unfortunately, the terrorists went there and killed them, while the men were keeping vigil outside the community. The victims were killed at a community leader’s house, where they ran for refuge. The Mairana, Kinat and other communities in Mangu Halle District, and those on the borders of Mangu and Barkin Ladi Local government areas are deserted now.”