THE Plateau State Government has condemned the attack in Bin Mper community in Kombun District of Mangu Local Council in the early hours of Tuesday, August 18.
The government, while sympathising with residents and families affected by the incident, urged members of the community to remain calm, avoid reprisal attacks and refrain from taking the law into their own hands, as security agencies work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the attack.
Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Lohya Ramnap, in a statement, said the government was deeply concerned about the incident, which it described as disturbing and a threat to the peace and security being consolidated across the state.
She said Governor Caleb Mutfwang had directed relevant security agencies to intensify surveillance and patrols in Bin Mper, urging residents to provide credible and timely information that could assist security personnel in identifying and apprehending those responsible for the attack.
It said the protection of lives and property remained a priority of the administration, pledging to continue to work with traditional rulers, community leaders, youth organisations, religious leaders and security agencies to strengthen peaceful coexistence and prevent further escalation of violence.
The government also appealled to residents of Bin Mper and neighbouring communities to remain vigilant, peaceful and law-abiding, and to report suspicious activities to the relevant authorities.
Recall that suspected Fulani bandits stormed the community and killed 23 in a major reprisal attack,
including women and children, believed to have been linked to an earlier attack on Fulani residents in the area.
According to reports by Zagazola Makama, the attackers on the predominantly farming community came from the neighbouring Bokkos axis through an isolated route and launched an attack on.
A military security source said troops of Sector 8, Operation Enduring Peace, responded to reports of the attack on the isolated village shortly after the incident was reported and upon arrival, conducted a sweep of the general area, but the attackers had already withdrawn from the community.
Reinforcement from the security forces, including personnel operating alongside Operation Rainbow, subsequently arrived at the location to support the response and the joint team later conducted an exploitation of the village, recovering 16 bodies of local residents, including women and children.
The military said search efforts were ongoing to establish the full casualty figure and obtain further details on the incident.
However, the Councillor representing Kombun Ward, Lemun Le’an Iliya, and the Mwaghavul Youth Movement, separately put the death toll at 23 and 24 persons, respectively.
Makama reported that the difference in casualty figures may be due to the fact that security personnel initially recovered 16 bodies, while community members were still accounting for missing, injured or displaced residents.
The Bin-Per attack came less than 48 hours after an attack on Fulani residents in Jwak Maitumbi, also in Mangu Local Council, on August 16, by suspected Mwaghavul militia, leading to loss of lives, destruction of about 45 Fulani residential shelters, looting of valuables and damaging of large quantities of crops belonging.
The Mwaghavul Youth Movement, while condemning the attack, accused government and security agencies of failing to adequately protect vulnerable communities.
It called for a transparent investigation into the attack, identification and prosecution of those responsible, urging authorities to strengthen intelligence gathering, improve the deployment of security personnel and establish effective rapid-response mechanisms.
