A bandit attack on Zurak village in the Wase Local Government Area of Nigeria’s Plateau State has resulted in nine deaths and the destruction of six houses.
What You Need to Know:
According to local reports, several bandits attacked the village around 7 p.m. on Monday evening. Alfred Alabo, Plateau Police Command Spokesperson, stated, “Some of the bandits were killed and one arrested at the Bangalala forest in Wase, which is a border between Plateau, Bauchi, and Taraba States.”
He added, “One of the bandits, who escaped and sought treatment at a hospital in Wase, was arrested with gunshot wounds.” Following the incident, Alabo mentioned, “the Commissioner of Police has deployed more personnel to the area and directed the Area Commander of Langtang to relocate to Wase with immediate effect.”
Various media outlets have suggested the death toll to be 40 individuals in the attack. However, as confirmed today by Musa Ashoms, Commissioner for Information, “The attack in Wase is barbaric, and as a government, we are saddened by that ugly incident. Our people are peace-loving, hard-working, and very industrious, and it is quite unfortunate that this happened to our people. But I read somewhere that some people are saying 40 people were killed. We do not have that number. What we know is that nine people were confirmed dead, as confirmed to us by the Chairman of the Implementation Committee of the LGA, and the Divisional Police Officer of Wase as well as the state Police Public Relations Officer. So, I don’t know where they got the 40 people they claimed to have been killed.”
A youth leader in the area, speaking to PUNCH journalists, claimed the bandits were ‘armed with sophisticated weapons’ and rode into the village on motorcycles.
Residents also claimed that they were unable to promptly alert authorities to the incident due to limited communication networks in the area. As a result of the attack, the village’s remaining residents have fled to neighboring communities.
So, What Now?:
Bandit attacks are not uncommon in Nigeria, particularly in Plateau state. On Christmas Eve last year, bandits killed at least 160 civilians in Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau state. Three hundred civilians were reported wounded, and over 200 houses were torched. The attack, which spread from Bokkos to the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, resulted in the exodus of nearly 10,000 residents from their homes.
Nigeria has struggled to contain the bandits, as well as Islamic insurgents associated with Boko Haram. While the government has made attempts to address the security situation, particularly in the country’s rural areas, the attacks continue.