Gunmen shoot 12 miners dead in Plateau

At least 12 miners were shot dead when gunmen attacked a mining site in the Ratoso Fan community of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Plateau State, on Tuesday night.

PUNCH Metro gathered that several others sustained injuries of varying degrees during the assault.

Residents who witnessed the attack said the gunmen stormed the site while the miners were at work and opened fire on them.

The Chairman of the Berom Educational and Cultural Organisation and Secretary of the Mining Committee in Barkin Ladi, Dagallang Davott, who confirmed the incident to PUNCH Metro in Jos on Wednesday, said many other persons are missing following the attack by gunmen.

Dallang said, “The number of those missing is yet to be ascertained because the incident happened in the night.”

The BECO chairman, who condemned the incident, explained, “There was an attack at Fan yesterday. It happened in the night, but I cannot give you the exact time.

“The gunmen stormed the mining site and opened fire on the miners. So, many of them fled for their lives during the incident. But 12 persons so far have been confirmed killed.”

A resident of the community, Moses Daniel, also confirmed the attack, expressing his distress.

“Yes, it happened. 12 people were killed last night at a mining site in Ratoso Fan community, my hometown,” Daniel said.

Daniel asserted that the attack has raised concerns about security in the area.

He added that the 3rd Division of the Nigerian Army has been informed about the incident.

When contacted, the spokesman for the division, Aliyu Danja, said, “Thanks for the update. Will check and revert.”

Our correspondent reports that the attack is the latest in a series of incidents in Plateau State, highlighting the need for increased security measures to protect citizens.

A few days ago, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang made high-profile visits to service chiefs in Abuja, where he reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to deepening security collaboration with the Nigerian Armed Forces to ensure the safety of rural communities in Plateau State and the wider North-Central region, particularly as the Yuletide season approaches.

The latest such visit took the governor to the offices of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Before then and in less than one week, the governor also met with the newly appointed Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), in his office in Abuja to discuss renewed strategies for tackling insecurity in the state.