Fifteen individuals, including a one-year-old boy, were brutally murdered on Sunday night in an attack on Ri Do, known as Gidan Ado, a small hamlet in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attack, reportedly carried out by unidentified gunmen, left several others seriously injured.
The hamlet, predominantly inhabited by Irigwe natives from Bassa, was invaded under the cover of darkness, sparking outrage and concern from the community.
The Irigwe Development Association (IDA), in a press statement issued in Jos and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Sam Jugo, condemned the unprovoked violence.
“The identities of the perpetrators have not yet been ascertained as of press time, and therefore it will be ill-conceived to state it here in order not to preempt or interfere with the outcome of ongoing investigations by the security agencies,” the statement read.
The association expressed worry over the timing of the attack, just days before the Christmas celebrations, and called on security agencies to take swift action to prevent further incidents.
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The IDA leadership also appealed for calm within the community while urging security forces to ensure such heinous acts do not recur.
Meanwhile, the victims of the attack were laid to rest in a mass burial at the community burial ground on Monday.
Neither the Joint Security Task Force, Operation Safe Haven, nor the police have issued an official statement regarding the incident at the time of this report.
Residents and stakeholders have renewed calls for heightened security measures in the region to protect vulnerable communities from further violence.
