By Amah
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Fresh bloodshed has again thrown Plateau State into mourning after suspected gunmen launched a deadly midnight attack on Ngbra Zongo community in Kwall District of Bassa Local Government Area, killing no fewer than 13 residents, including three pregnant women, and leaving several others critically injured.
The latest killings, which occurred in the early hours of Friday, add to the growing wave of violent attacks that have continued to plague communities across Plateau State, particularly in Bassa and neighboring local government areas where residents have repeatedly raised concerns over insecurity, land-related tensions, and recurring armed invasions.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that the attackers stormed the community under the cover of darkness, shooting sporadically and attacking fleeing residents with machetes and other dangerous weapons. The assault reportedly sent panic across the area as terrified villagers abandoned their homes and escaped into surrounding bushes to save their lives.
A resident of the community, said the gunmen moved from house to house during the coordinated attack, targeting innocent residents and leaving trails of destruction behind.
According to him, the assailants invaded the village around midnight and immediately unleashed violence on sleeping residents, creating chaos that lasted for hours before security intervention could arrive.
Another resident disclosed that three pregnant women were among those killed, a development that has further deepened outrage and grief within the community.
The Secretary General of the Irigwe Development Association, Danjuma Auta, confirmed the incident and described the killings as barbaric and heartbreaking. He lamented the persistent attacks on communities in Bassa Local Government Area and other parts of Plateau State despite repeated appeals for improved security presence.
Auta called on security agencies to intensify efforts to protect vulnerable communities and prevent further bloodshed, stressing that residents have continued to live in fear amid recurring attacks by armed groups.
He also urged authorities to swiftly track down those behind the latest assault and ensure they face justice, warning that continued impunity could worsen tensions and insecurity in the region.
The attack is the latest in a string of violent incidents that have kept Plateau State on edge in recent years, with several rural communities repeatedly targeted by heavily armed assailants. Many residents have continued to demand stronger military deployment, improved intelligence gathering, and urgent government intervention to halt the cycle of killings.
Efforts to get official confirmation from the Plateau State Police Command were unsuccessful as the spokesperson of the command, SP Alfred Alabo, could not be reached at the time of filing this report.
