Police officer missing, 20 people killed when gunmen attack Plateau community

A police officer has been reported missing after an attack on Kawel village in Mushere Chiefdom, Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State, that left more than 20 people dead and several others injured on Sunday night.

Conflict journalist Masara Kim confirmed the invasion in a post he shared on Monday morning. He said the assailants—identified as Fulani militias numbering over 100—stormed the village at about 10:30 p.m. after residents had gone to bed.

Kim reported that the attackers, armed with advanced weapons, quickly overpowered the local youths who were guarding the community. They moved from house to house, shooting residents who were sleeping. He added that many victims were killed on their beds, while others who fled to the bushes were either trampled or shot as they tried to escape.

Adams Ayuba, a member of the community who spoke to DAILY POST on Monday morning, said the attack followed a security alert that warned of an impending invasion, but the reports were not taken seriously by security agencies.

“The Fulani militias and their sponsors highly coordinated this attack. Though I don’t stay in the village, I was informed that a few days ago there was a security alert following sightings of many Fulani people gathering around the outskirts of the village. Our people duly informed security agencies of the sighting, but instead of dispatching personnel to the village, the security operatives did nothing of such. The bandits invaded our village last night (Sunday), going from house to house and killed well over 20 people,” Ayuba said. He added that a local police officer who tried to fight back has gone missing, and it is unclear whether he was killed, kidnapped, or escaped.

Patience Ibrahim, another community member, posted on social media that she lost four family members in the attack. “My in‑laws were killed in this very attack. Four people in the same family were killed in one house. God, this is too much. And people are supporting these evil acts for their selfish political interest! May this same evil visit you and wipe out your entire clan,” she wrote.

At the time of this report, the Plateau State Police Command and the Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP) had not released official statements about the incident.