No fewer than 10 people were killed on Sunday night in Gidan Ado, an Irigwe settlement in Ganawuri Chiefdom of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

An eyewitness, who did not want his name mentioned, expressed deep pain over the devastating incident of the alleged Fulani attack.

He said that immediately after receiving news that about 10 people had been massacred by the attackers, he reached out to the Special Task Force (STF) known as Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) of the 3 Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, Rukuba Barracks of Maxwell Khobe Cantonment, Jos.

The eyewitness stated that he contacted them for immediate intervention to avert further killings and destruction of property.

He added that one of the youth leaders in the settlement, who was weeping, informed him that the attack was very serious, resulting in the loss of the said lives, with many others still missing.

The settlement, he pointed out, has also suffered significant destruction, including burnt houses and other losses.

Sympathising with the Irigwe community, he condemned the senseless and unprovoked violence and killings of people preparing for Christmas celebrations in their traditional way.

He urged government authorities, particularly the OPSH personnel responsible for protecting the people of Plateau State, to take swift action and provide relief for the victims, many of whom have been displaced, especially women and children.

However, the Deputy Director of Information of the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, Rukuba Barracks, Jos, Major Aliyu Danja, did not answer any of the numerous calls put out to him by The Guardian in Jos.

A senior army officer, who preferred anonymity, confirmed the attack, saying troops had been deployed to the area and were now on top of the situation.

Some spiritual thinkers have repeatedly warned that what happened on Christmas Eve last year in Bokkos, where bandits ravaged the community, leaving many people dead and property worth millions of naira destroyed, could repeat itself if preventive measures were not taken.

No wonder the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Emmanuel Adesina, had taken measures to forestall such developments. However, the location of the present attack is too remote and inaccessible.