Five persons have been killed in a vegetable market in Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State, sparking panic that has spilt over into neighbouring Barkin Ladi, where women and children are being evacuated amid sustained gunfire.
The Mangu attack unfolded about 8:45 p.m. last Friday as merchants were locking up their stalls for the night.
Gunmen invaded the market and opened fire indiscriminately, targeting traders and vehicles attempting to leave the premises. The assault lasted 20 minutes, leaving five people dead and multiple bystanders wounded.
An eyewitness, who survived the assault described scenes of total pandemonium, said: ‘People could not even come out of hiding long after the gunmen had left. Five persons were killed, and stray bullets hit many others in the confusion.’
President, Mwaghavul Development Association (MDA), Bulus Dabit, said the gunmen fired into departing vehicles.
‘The identities of the victims have not yet been established. Several injured passers-by were rushed to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for emergency treatment,’Dabit stated.
The bloodshed has triggered fresh instability across the border in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area. By Sunday afternoon, heavy gunfire echoing from the Kantoma axis triggered mass panic in the Dorowa Bubuje community, prompting emergency evacuations of vulnerable residents.
‘About 12:15 p.m. yesterday, we were still hearing the sound of gunshots. Women and children are being moved out of vulnerable spots to safer locations as people retreat from the line of fire,’said a resident, Lawrence Shong.
Spokesperson for the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwong, confirmed the exodus from Dorowa Bubuje, noting that families are prioritising the safety of women and children amid rising tensions in the area.
‘Military personnel have been deployed to the community, and their past interventions in surrounding villages helped prevent worse escalations. What we need now is sustained, permanent security deployment to protect lives, deter further incursions, and allow displaced families to return home without fear,’Tengwong added.