Three people were killed by suspected bandits on Sunday night at Dundu village in Kwall District of Irigwe Chiefdom of Bassa Local Government in Plateau State.

The same incident occurred in the last two weeks, where massive destruction of dry season farm crops was caused by alleged Fulani militia men.

Those who were gruesomely murdered that Sunday are Mr. John Avia (48 years old), Sunday Vickson (32 years old), and Peter Vickson (30 years old). The incident was confirmed by the police yesterday.

According to the National Publicity Secretary of Irigwe Youth Movement, Joseph Chudu Yonkpa, in a statement yesterday, “These incidents are one too many, and the numerous destructions Fulani militias continue to wage on the Irigwe community reaffirm their resolve against peaceful coexistence, peace, and tranquility in Irigwe land.

“We encourage our people to increase vigilance, as our enemies are never asleep, seeking only to cause trouble and pain in our land. May God continue to rest the souls of our beloved ones, grant them eternal rest, and may our attackers never know peace.”

Meanwhile, the Plateau State Government has indirectly reacted to the killings, saying that the state has recruited 600 personnel to boost community policing in the state.

It said that the government had taken a step towards enhancing security and restoring peace in the state by recruiting 600 personnel across the 17 local government areas.

The government also said the move was aimed at boosting community policing, which is essential for addressing the unique security challenges faced by different communities in the state, adding that the recruited personnel are expected to work closely with conventional security agencies to restore peace and harmony in the state.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Joyce Ramnap, stated this while addressing journalists.

According to the commissioner, security is very paramount to the state government and, therefore, saw the need to recruit local people to provide security with relevant information about criminal activities in their areas.

Ramnap said, “At the start of his administration, the governor revived Operation Rainbow, which had been in decline. As part of the revival, 600 personnel were trained in intelligence gathering and early warning systems.

“Operation Rainbow has also set up a State Security Information Centre with hotlines for people to report security concerns. Security is paramount to the Governor Caleb Mutfwang-led administration. You and I can attest that there is relative peace on the Plateau.”