Several people are feared dead and many others injured after gunmen attacked mourners during a mass burial in Nding Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The mourners were burying seven persons earlier killed in a separate attack on the community when the gunmen struck on Wednesday afternoon.
Sources said the attackers had been watching the burial from nearby hills before suddenly storming the area and opening fire as villagers dug graves.
An eyewitness and journalist, Masara Kim, said about five communities were facing attacks at the same time.
He said the mourners had only managed to dig a shallow grave before the attackers arrived, forcing residents to quickly bury the bodies and run for safety.
According to him, “There is an ongoing, massive attack on communities south of Jos. More than five communities are under simultaneous assault. While we were at the burial site, the attackers emerged from the hills and began shooting.”
Kim said a man was killed right in front of him, adding that local defenders armed with hunting rifles and locally made weapons could not withstand the attackers.
He also said he narrowly escaped as many residents fled while the gunmen moved deeper into the communities, noting that the exact number of casualties was still unclear because of the confusion.
The publicity secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwong, described the situation as “terrible” and said efforts were ongoing to rescue abducted residents.
