At least 22 people, including healthcare workers and security personnel, lost their lives when armed attackers stormed Kawel village in Mushere District of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday night, deepening concerns over the worsening security situation across parts of Nigeria.
The assailants reportedly invaded the community under cover of darkness, firing indiscriminately and attacking residents. Several others sustained injuries during the assault, while a local health facility was also targeted.
A humanitarian worker involved in emergency response operations disclosed that the attackers struck the community’s Primary Health Care Centre, killing medical personnel on duty as well as some patients receiving treatment. Survivors were evacuated to hospitals for urgent medical care.
Local youth leader Christopher Luka said the death toll rose following further assessments of the attack. According to him, women, health workers and patients were among those killed. Burial arrangements were delayed due to persistent rainfall in the area.
The latest violence occurred just days after the killing of a traditional ruler in Bokkos Local Government Area, further heightening tensions in the region.
Confirming the incident, the Plateau State Police Command stated that armed men invaded the community late Sunday. Police operatives, working alongside other security agencies, were deployed to the area and engaged the attackers in a gun battle, eventually forcing them to retreat.
The command said initial reports indicated 18 fatalities, but two additional victims later died from injuries sustained during the attack, bringing the official death toll to 20. Authorities have since released the bodies to families for burial after relatives declined post-mortem examinations.
Commissioner of Police CP Bassey Ewah expressed condolences to affected families and assured residents that security agencies would intensify efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible. Additional tactical units and Police Mobile Force personnel have also been deployed to the area, while senior officers have been directed to oversee security operations on the ground.
The Plateau State Government condemned the killings, describing them as a brutal and senseless attack on innocent citizens. Governor Caleb Mutfwang directed security agencies to intensify efforts to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice. The government also promised immediate support and relief for victims and affected families.
Meanwhile, fear spread through Owo in Ondo State after suspected kidnappers carried out two separate attacks on Sunday night. In one incident, armed men attempted to abduct community leader and cleric Pastor Taiwo Taiwo but were repelled after security operatives responded swiftly and engaged them in a shootout.
Hours later, another gang reportedly attacked a residence in the Gbegun area, shooting a man identified as Daniel Ologun before abducting his wife and two young children. However, a joint operation involving police and military personnel led to the rescue of the victims after the kidnappers abandoned them while fleeing security pressure.
Ondo State Police spokesperson DSP Abayomi Jimoh confirmed both incidents, noting that security forces have launched extensive operations to track down the fleeing suspects and dismantle criminal hideouts.
In Oyo State, frustration over rising insecurity sparked protests in Ibadan as demonstrators blocked major roads demanding urgent action over the continued captivity of dozens of pupils, students and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area more than a month ago.
Members of the Take It Back Movement staged the protest at the busy Iwo Road interchange, causing major traffic disruption while calling on authorities to secure the immediate release of the abducted victims. Protest leaders accused government officials of failing to act decisively despite growing public anxiety.
Responding to the concerns, the South-West Coordinating Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, assured Nigerians that security agencies were working tirelessly to secure the release of the kidnapped schoolchildren and their teachers. He maintained that all available resources were being deployed to rescue the victims and restore them safely to their families.
Also weighing in on the security crisis, Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Igboho clarified that his campaign for improved security was directed solely at criminal elements and not at any ethnic group. He stressed that combating kidnapping, banditry and violent crimes should remain a national priority beyond ethnic or political considerations.
Similarly, Catholic bishops from the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province criticised the continued reintegration of repentant terrorists and bandits into society and security structures. The clerics argued that such policies undermine justice and fail to adequately consider the suffering of victims and their families.
The bishops called for stronger security reforms, including enhanced intelligence gathering, improved policing, greater use of technology and the establishment of state police. They insisted that lasting peace can only be achieved through accountability, justice for victims and effective measures to curb insecurity across the country.