Scores killed in attacks on Plateau communities, as govt imposes dusk to dawn curfew in three councils

Scores of people have been killed in attacks on Razat, Ruku, Nyarr, Kura and Gana-Ropp villages, Gashish District in Barkin Ladi Local Government, Plateau State.
Also hit were Daffo and Kuba communities in Bokkos Local Government.
But, Mr Terna Tyopev, the Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said on Sunday in Jos that 11 persons were killed and many other villages were hit by the gunmen suspected to be herdsmen.
“The gunmen invaded the villages on Saturday and killed several people. Based on the number of corpses recovered and buried, we can confirm 11 killed,” he said.
He said, however, that more people might have died because many families had buried their dead relatives before policemen arrived,” he said.
Tyopev said that some dead bodies had been deposited at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) mortuary, adding that security had been beefed up in affected villages to restore peace.
But, some residents said scores of people were killed by the rampaging gunmen.
Capt. Umar Adams, spokesman of `Operation Safe Haven’, the military task force maintaining peace in Plateau State, who also spoke on the attacks, described them as “unfortunate”.
“We are aware of the unfortunate attacks, but I cannot confirm how many people were killed,” he said.
Meanwhile, Governor Simon Lalong has charged security agencies to double their efforts toward ending the persistent attacks on rural communities in the state.
A statement by Mr Yakubu Dati, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, said that the governor rushed to the state on Sunday, cutting short his participation in the ongoing All Progressives Convention (APC) convention holding in Abuja.
It quoted Lalong as describing the incessant attacks as “devastating”.
“The governor has directed  security agencies to end the attacks and apprehend the assailants. He has also challenged them to be proactive so as to restore stability to Plateau,” the statement said.
It further quoted Lalong as commiserating with families of the victims and promising to settle the bills of those injured and in hospitals.
Meanwhile, the state government has imposed  a dusk to dawn curfew in Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Jos South local government areas.
The government said in a statement in Jos  that the curfew was to avert a breakdown of law and order.
He said that movement would be restricted from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. except for those on essential duties.
There was tension in some parts of the state after several attacks in some communities left many people dead.