Terrorists have killed 12 artisanal miners, injured five, and abducted three others on Wednesday in the Ratoso community, Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area in Plateau State.
An eyewitness who escaped the attack said a large number of assailants stormed a mining site around 9:30 p.m. and opened fire indiscriminately on the group of young miners, injuring five others who were trying to flee. The attackers, who had reportedly been hiding in the community beforehand, caught the miners—many of whom were engrossed in night mining—completely by surprise.
Residents expressed deep concern for those abducted. One resident stated, “We can see the bodies of those killed, but we are even more concerned about those who were abducted,” noting that the victims were taken away on motorcycles.
The National President of the Berom Youth Moulder Association, Barrister Solomon Dalyop, confirmed the incident from the scene. “At the moment, I am at the scene of the incident. We are making efforts to bury the 12 persons killed, while those injured have been taken to the hospital,” he said.
“Our main worry right now is the three abducted persons. We are urging the security agencies, particularly operatives of Operation Enduring Peace, to help secure their release. The community is currently in deep agony over this unfortunate incident.”
Dalyop revealed there had been an early warning this month about possible attacks on Plateau communities before and during Christmas. He noted that four communities were attacked simultaneously last week, and expressed dismay at the government’s inaction.
“This recent occurrence confirms the early warning that there would be attacks before and during the Christmas season. We are surprised that, despite being designated as a Country of Particular Concern, the Nigerian government has made little or no effort to address the nation’s security challenges,” he said.
“This also suggests that our security agencies are not living up to expectations. The protection of lives and property should be of paramount concern to the security agencies, but what we are experiencing falls far below expectations.”
When contacted, Plateau State Police Command spokesman SP Alfred Alabo confirmed the attack and stated that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and his team were still in the bush working with the community to apprehend the attackers. “Investigation is ongoing, and as soon as the DPO concludes his findings, we will brief journalists,” he said.
