Terror Strikes Mangu: Night Raid Claims Eight Lives, Homes Set Ablaze
A tragic night of violence unfolded in Plateau State as armed assailants launched a deadly attack on Chicim, a quiet community situated near Mangu town in Mangu Local Government Area.
The brutal incident, which occurred around 10 p.m. on Tuesday night, resulted in the deaths of at least eight residents and left several others wounded.
According to local sources, the attackers stormed the village under the cover of darkness, opening fire without warning. The unsuspecting community, many of whom had already retired for the night, was thrown into chaos as gunshots echoed through the settlement.
Nankus Habila, a resident who survived the onslaught, described the moment the armed men descended upon the area, shooting indiscriminately and sparing no one in their path.
The violence did not stop in Chicim. On the same night, the neighboring Gyenbwas community in Langai District, also within Mangu LGA, suffered a similarly horrifying fate. Eyewitness accounts confirmed that dozens of homes in Gyenbwas were set ablaze by the attackers, displacing families and reducing properties to ashes.
Despite the scale and impact of the incident, official statements from security agencies were not forthcoming at the time of reporting. Multiple attempts to reach Major Samson Zhakom, spokesperson for Operation Safe Haven (OpSH), were unsuccessful as his phone went unanswered. Similarly, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Alfred Alabo, could not be reached as his phone line was unavailable.
The communities now grapple with grief, loss, and uncertainty, as residents call on authorities for immediate intervention, justice, and enhanced security presence in the region to prevent further tragedies.