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Eight people killed in Jos on Independence Day. On Monday, eight people were reported dead after gunmen invaded Adu village in Plateau State’s Bassa Local Government Area.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Irigwe Development Association, Davidson Malison, who confirmed the killings in a statement on Monday, said five other villagers were also injured during the attack, which occurred on Sunday, which was Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Day anniversary.
According to Malison, the gunmen arrived in the village around 8.10pm and fired bullets on the innocent victims who were sleeping.
Malison said, “While other people celebrated 63rd Nigeria’s Independence Day with excitement, joy and happiness, Rigwe people were enveloped with tears, sorrow and sadness following an attack at Du village of Kwall District, Rigwe Chiefdom of Plateau State in Nigeria.
“This is no doubt the continuation of the destruction of lives and the ceaseless attempts to annihilate the Rigwe race by the men of the underworld which has kept on persisting.
“This thing must stop and it is enough. We can’t continue allowing these marauders to continue unleashing mayhem in the land. Our ancestral land is God-given and her people cannot be evicted and ejected.”
In an interview with The PUNCH, Nuhu Bitrus, spokesman for the Miango Youths Development Association, stated, “It’s unfortunate that while others are celebrating Nigeria’s 63rd independence anniversary, we are gathering in Kwall to bury our people.” We had intended to celebrate our independence with a variety of activities today (Monday), but we are no longer doing so. Instead, our people are currently assembling and planning to bury the victims of the attack, as well as turning the celebration into a prayer day for the safety of our communities.”
As of the time of filing this report, the spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, could not be reached for comment as his mobile line indicated that it was unreachable.