Terrorists stormed Bong village in Plateau State, Nigeria, Friday night, killing seven residents and leaving several missing.
Villagers in Bong, located in the Doemak District of Qua’an Pan Local Government Area, endured a harrowing ordeal as armed terrorists invaded their homes under the cover of darkness.
The attackers, striking while many slept, targeted families in a swift house-to-house rampage that spared no one, including women, children, and the elderly.
Eyewitnesses recounted the chaos, with gunshots echoing through the night and survivors fleeing in panic.
Justin Mari, a local resident, shared the grim toll directly.
“As I speak with you, I can confirm that more than seven persons have been killed.
Many others sustained injuries, and some people are still missing,” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, security forces and vigilantes mobilized quickly after a distress call, engaging the terrorists in a confrontation that left two assailants dead and allowed the recovery of rustled livestock.
Local authorities responded swiftly to the violence.
Christopher Audu Manship, the executive chairman of Qua’an Pan Local Government Council, condemned the attack through his press director, Danaan Cletus Sylvanus.
Manship pledged full cooperation with security agencies to track down and prosecute the perpetrators, emphasizing that his administration would keep the public updated on the investigation.
However, preliminary reports from police sources indicated the raid stemmed from a botched cattle rustling operation by criminals within the community itself, rather than external groups like Fulani herders.
This incident underscores the persistent insecurity plaguing rural areas in Plateau State, where terrorists have claimed hundreds of lives in recent years through similar raids.
Just days earlier, on New Year’s Day, Nigerian troops foiled a separate terrorist plot in nearby Wase Local Government Area, neutralizing five suspects and seizing weapons during an ambush.
In addition, the attack follows a wave of violence across northern Nigeria over the New Year’s period, with at least 47 people killed in various assaults, including targeted strikes on Christian communities.
Community leaders now call for stronger measures to protect vulnerable populations.
As investigations continue, residents of Bong village mourn their losses and brace for potential further threats in a region long scarred by such unrest.
