No fewer than nine persons were killed on Wednesday night when gunmen attacked Chigwi village in the Vwang District of Jos South Local Government Area, Plateau State, during crossover night activities.
The secretary to the district head of Vwang, Iliya Chung, confirmed the incident on Thursday, saying the victims included men, women and children.
According to Chung, the attack occurred between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. in Boom, a settlement within Chigwi village, as residents were marking the New Year.
“Between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., we received calls that there was an attack in Boom, Chigwi village. We heard gunshots, and around midnight, victims started being brought in. At that point, six bodies were recorded,” he said.
He added that the death toll rose to nine by Thursday morning.
“As of this morning, we have confirmed nine deaths. Eight bodies were recovered, while another victim died at the hospital. There is tension in the area. One family was almost completely wiped out, with only one child surviving. We are still compiling details of those injured. The police are currently on the ground,” Chung stated.
He disclosed that local authorities had earlier warned residents of a possible attack following reported threats, although the anticipated target was a different community.
“We warned our people not to hold crossover celebrations because we received intelligence about a possible attack. However, the information pointed to Farin Lamba, not this village,” he said.
In response to the attack, the district has suspended its annual New Year celebration in Vwang, which was scheduled to be attended by the Plateau State governor.
“We were supposed to hold our New Year celebration today in Vwang, with the governor expected to attend. Given what has happened, all activities have been suspended,” Chung added.
He also recalled a similar attack about two weeks ago in the K-Vom Division, where a police officer was killed while on duty and his rifle taken by the assailants.
Meanwhile, the Plateau State Police Command said it was yet to formally confirm the incident. The Police Public Relations Officer, Alfred Alabo, said the command was still verifying details.
“I am working on the information and will provide an update once I receive full reports from officers on the ground,” he said.