The death toll in the Mbalom attack over the weekend has risen to 17 following the discovery of more bodies by a search party.

Although the Chairman of Gwer Local Government Area, Timothy Adi, earlier put the figure at nine, he did not respond to calls for confirmation, while a member of the search team confirmed that the toll has increased to 17.

Residents who fled the community were still reluctant to return as of Monday.

A resident, who identified himself as Tyolaha, told The Guardian that the community had just witnessed the first rains of the season and preparations for farming were already underway before the attack forced people to flee.

He appealed to the state and federal governments to take urgent action to enable displaced residents return to their farms, rather than being confined to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.

Meanwhile, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Dankombo Morris has assumed duty as the 44th AIG in charge of Zone 4 Headquarters, Makurdi.

Dankombo takes over from Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Zachariah Fera Achinyan.

A statement signed by the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Ayo Oluwaseun Martins, described AIG Dankombo as a highly experienced officer who has served in various operational, investigative, and administrative roles across the country.