BREAKING: Chief Imam, Okada rider brutally killed in fresh Plateau attack

Malam Muhammad Sani Idris, the Chief Imam of the Jumma’at Mosque in Ndun village, Tangur District, Bokkos local government area of Plateau state, and Muhammad Gambo, a motorcycle taxi rider, have tragically lost their lives. Garba Abdullahi, the chairman of the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN), officially confirmed this unfortunate incident on Wednesday, January 3.

According to Abdullahi, Salisu Muhammad Sani Idris, the younger brother of the deceased Imam, sustained injuries in the attack and was currently undergoing treatment at Dung Hospital in Bokkos town. The GAFDAN chairman reported the incident to the security agencies in Bokkos for prompt action.

The Nation disclosed that these recent killings occurred just a week after approximately 23 villages in Bokkos LGA were attacked, resulting in the loss of over 150 lives.

Providing details of the incident, the GAFDAN chairman explained: “The chief Imam and his younger brother were attacked on Monday when they arrived at the community to retrieve some of their belongings left from the recent attacks, where houses of our members were burned down. They went there to collect some of their property but were unexpectedly attacked. The assailants killed the imam, while his younger brother survived machete wounds.”

He further mentioned that the second victim, Muhammad Gambo, an okada rider and GAFDAN member, was killed on Monday near Bokkos Market while transporting a passenger to the area. Both incidents were promptly reported to the Police and Operation Safe Have in Bokkos.

In response to the escalating violence, Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and the service chiefs visited the state on Sunday. Their visit aimed to assess the security situation and express condolences to the victims of recent attacks. The service chiefs, during their visit to one of the affected communities, pledged to halt the senseless killings in the state. Ongoing conflicts between herders and farming communities have unfortunately become frequent in the region.