The Plateau State Police Command has disclosed that 96 people were killed while 221 houses were set ablaze during Christmas Eve attacks on communities in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas of the state.
The Plateau state police commissioner, Okoro Alawari, disclosed this on Tuesday in a statement signed by Alfred Alabo, the command’s spokesman.
The statement said the attacks took place in 15 communities in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas.
It added that an assessment of the ugly incidents shows that in the attacks on 12 villages in Bokkos LGA, 79 people killed while 221 houses, 27 motorcycles and eight vehicles were burnt and in Barakin Ladi LGA, 17 deaths were recorded
The statement reads: “The Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, CP Okoro Alawari expresses grief over the deadly attacks that took place in some remote villages of Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State carried out by some yet-to-identified assailants on the December 24, 2023 at odd hours of the night, and sympathises with the families of those who lost their loved ones in the gruesome attack.
“On December 24, 2023, at 2200hrs, the following 12 villages in Bokkos LGA were attacked; Ndun, Ngyong, Murfet, Makundary, Tamiso, Chiang, Tahore, Gawarba, Dares, Meyenga, Darwat and Butura Kampani.
“Similarly, on December 24, 2023, at about 2245hrs, three villages in Barkin-Ladi LGA namely; NTV, Hurum and Darawat were also attacked.”
Alawari, said to prevent further carnage, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations had been directed to relocate to Bokkos and also deployed a team of operational forces to the troubled areas to prevent further attacks and assess the level of damages in the affected areas.
The statement said, “Findings from the assessment of the ugly incidents in Bokkos LGA revealed that the total number of villages attacked is 12; 221 houses were set ablaze, 27 motorcycles were burnt, eight motor vehicles were burnt down and over 79 persons were killed while 17 deaths were recorded in Barkin-ladi LGA.
“Investigation and monitoring of the incidents are still on. Further development will be communicated soon”.
