Suspected terrorists kidnapped three people, including two palace administrators, and set fire to many residences in the Bunyun village in Bashar District, Wase Local Government Area, Plateau State.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., is thought to be related to last Sunday’s clash between vigilantes and terrorists, which resulted in the deaths of numerous vigilantes and the destruction of several residences.
Abdulbari’u Muhammad, the village’s paramount ruler, confirmed the latest occurrence to journalists in Jos on Thursday, adding that the terrorists raided the community in huge numbers on motorbikes and took precious commodities like food, clothing, and motorcycles.
“We are completely confused and don’t know what to do, which is why we fled to Bashar. Everybody has fled because people are afraid to remain in the area,” Muhammad said.
He identified the abducted palace officials as Waziri and Wakili, his younger brother.
Some villagers claimed the community had been abandoned, with residents fleeing to surrounding towns, like Bashar, for protection.
A local resident, Abubakar Zubairu, verified the incident, adding, “The community was deserted on Thursday morning following the Wednesday night attack.”
Muhammad stressed the need for the government to deploy enough security personnel to the area to enable farmers to continue farming and secure their livelihoods.
“Our crops are already planted, and we are worried about our farms. We need the government to help us with security so that we can go back to our farms and secure our livelihoods,” he said.
The terrorists’ attack shows Plateau communities’ growing insecurity and the necessity for immediate government engagement to protect lives and property.
Major Samson Zhakom, the spokesperson for Operation Safe Haven, and his counterpart from the State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, have yet to react to our correspondent’s calls and text messages at the time of filling this report.
