Gunmen have abducted five residents and injured two others in an attack on Mista Ali community in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday night when armed men invaded the community and opened fire, forcing residents to flee for safety.
The traditional ruler of Mista Ali, Mr Danladi Akinja Kasuwa, confirmed the attack to journalists in Jos on Wednesday, saying residents were taken by surprise as gunshots rang out in different parts of the community.
“We just heard gunshots all around the area. The attackers invaded the community and started shooting sporadically, leaving residents running for safety,” he said.
Kasuwa disclosed that five persons were taken away by the attackers, while two others sustained gunshot injuries and were rushed to hospital for treatment.
He expressed concern over the incident, noting that the attack had heightened fear and uncertainty among residents.
The traditional ruler appealed to the government and security agencies to strengthen security in the area, intensify efforts to rescue the abducted persons and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
“We are worried about what happened in our community. We appeal to the government and security agencies to strengthen security in the area to prevent further attacks,” he said.
He further described the incident as disturbing and called for urgent government intervention to protect lives and property in the community.
Efforts to obtain comments from security agencies, including the Plateau State Police Command spokesperson, Alabo Alfred, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
