Many people were killed and several others injured in Fan District, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State when gunmen attacked villagers conducting a mass burial for seven victims of a previous attack.
Our correspondent gathered that the incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon.
Sources said the gunmen, who had been observing the burial from surrounding hills, suddenly descended on the community and opened fire on mourners digging graves.
A witness, a journalist, Masara Kim, told our correspondent via telephone that about five communities were experiencing simultaneous attacks by suspected terrorists.
He said the mourners had barely dug a few metres before the attackers struck, forcing them to hurriedly dump the bodies into shallow graves and flee for safety.
“Right now, there is an ongoing massive attack in communities about 20 miles south of Jos. More than five communities are currently under simultaneous attacks,” he said.
“I saw a man fall after he was shot by a terrorist who emerged from the surrounding hills and began shooting towards the community where we were observing the burial of seven people killed the previous night.
“While the burial was ongoing, we received information that the attackers were mobilising. The grave was less than two feet deep before people abandoned the process and buried the bodies hastily.
“There were no proper funeral rites—just a brief prayer. Moments later, gunshots rang out. A man fell right in front of me. He was one of the local defenders using a hunting rifle.
“Eventually, the attackers overwhelmed the community, and we all had to flee. By the time we realised how close they were, people were already falling. We abandoned our vehicle and ran for our lives.
“I managed to escape, but many others were left behind. May God have mercy on their souls.”
Kim said he could not ascertain the casualty figure due to the tense situation at the time he left.
When contacted, the Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwom, described the situation as “terrible.”
Tengwom, who appeared panic-stricken, said he had received information that the association’s president was trapped in the area.
“I am currently on my way there on a motorcycle. The situation is very bad, and we learnt that our president is trapped. We are going to rescue him by all means,” he said.
