Gunmen Kill 24 in Fresh Night Attack on Plateau Community

At least 24 people were killed and numerous others wounded when gunmen launched a deadly night attack on Binper community in Kombun District, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State. The assault, which occurred in the early hours of yesterday, saw heavily armed assailants systematically enter homes and take lives as victims slept.

The violent invasion also resulted in several houses being destroyed and farmlands ruined, exacerbating the region's already dire humanitarian conditions. Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers methodically moved from dwelling to dwelling, forcing their way inside and slaughtering residents. More than 20 bodies were recovered, but several people remain unaccounted for.

Community leaders and volunteers are still searching for missing individuals. Security forces arrived in the community the following morning to restore order and deter future attacks. The Plateau State Police Command confirmed the incident but stated they were still investigating the exact number of casualties. State Commissioner of Police Ayodeji Faniyan and senior officers are en route to the area to evaluate the damage.

The Mwaghavul Youth Movement (MYM) strongly condemned the attack, denouncing it as a blow to the community's safety and future. The group lamented that civilians had to defend themselves against armed assailants, stating that higher death tolls could have been avoided if security forces had acted sooner. MYM urged the governor and President Tinubu to urgently address the security situation in vulnerable Plateau communities and ensure those responsible are held accountable.

The MYM emphasized that each life lost is a tragedy for Nigeria, demanding a transparent investigation into the Binper incident and other attacks in Mangu LGA. The Mangu area has been targeted by armed groups repeatedly over the years, with security operations failing to halt the violence, leading to thousands of displaced residents and widespread destruction of agricultural land.