About 9.45p.m. on Sunday, gunmen suspected to be Fulani militia, murdered eight persons, including an eight-month-old baby, at Farin Lamba, Vwang District of Jos South Local Council, Plateau State.

This is as bandits continued to unleash terror on Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Jos South and Mangu local councils in renewed attacks sequel to the 2023 general elections.

According to a resident, the attackers, who came in an Opel Vectra notchback saloon car, shot at the victims, who were heading home after the day’s activities.

The eight-month-old, who was also murdered with her father, was said to be returning from the hospital when tragedy struck. Before the attack, communities in Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Jos South and Mangu local councils had reportedly witnessed deliberate destruction of farmlands and provocative grazing of over 300 hectares of land.

Also, there had been daily ambush and killing of innocent persons on motorcycles, residents said. National Publicity Secretary of Berom Youth Movement (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, condemned the attack and other forms of provocation meted out to innocent Plateau citizens after the general elections.

“However, the pronouncement by the new General Officer Commanding (GOC), 3 Armoured Division, Maxwell Khobe Cantonment, Maj-Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, during on-the-spot assessment at Sabon Gari in Mangu, a day after he took over as GOC, to ‘ruthlessly deal with criminal elements and restore peace to communities that experienced attacks in Plateau and Joint Operation Area as a whole’, is cheering news to us.

“We believe that with the new GOC’s commitment to be firm, decisive and fair to all in discharging his constitutional mandate of protecting life and property of the citizens, lasting peace will be achieved in no distant time,” he said.

He commended the federal and state governments for deploying Mobile Police (MOPOL) officers to Riyom and Mangu communities under frequent attack. Abubakar stated: “We appeal for the deployment of more personnel to cover communities in Barkin Ladi and Jos South, as this step has drastically reduced attacks in the past three weeks.

“We are also confident that the new service chiefs will come up with new strategies to address the security situation in the country, particularly Plateau State. We call on Berom nation to remain calm and law-abiding, as well as continue to support all efforts that will bring about peace to our communities.”