By G9ija
Eleven persons have been confirmed killed and eight others injured in a late-night attack on the Maikatako community of Butura district in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attackers, suspected to be herdsmen, also burnt down four houses in the process.
They stormed the community around 11 pm on Tuesday and started shooting sporadically, overwhelming the vigilante group members on patrol.
Nine of the victims were said to have been burnt beyond recognition in a compound that was razed while the others were found earlier this morning around the bushes.
According to a member of the community, the violence was sparked after the weekly Monday market when a boy was shot at Hilltop, a community about a kilometre from Maikatako.
The shooting led to tension around the community on Tuesday even as the vigilante group members made efforts to secure the area and repel attack attempts after observing strange movements and calling security operatives.
Spokesman of the Police Command in Plateau State, DSP Alfred Alabo, confirmed the attack but said he had yet to get the full details.
The Commander of Operation Safe Haven, Major General Ibrahim Ali, is on the ground to assess the situation.
Operation Safe Haven is a military task force established to ensure peace in Plateau, parts of Bauchi and Kaduna states.
