No fewer than 12 persons, including two pregnant women, were killed in a fresh midnight attack on Ngbra-Zongo Village in Kwall District of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The attackers, suspected to be armed Fulani herdsmen, reportedly stormed the community in the early hours of Friday, unleashing terror on residents during a heavy rainfall. Sources in the area disclosed that the assailants invaded the village in three groups at midnight, moving from house to house and attacking innocent residents with guns and machetes.

Apart from those killed, about 10 other persons sustained varying degrees of injuries, including gunshot wounds and machete cuts. One of the survivors is said to be a pregnant woman currently receiving treatment.

The latest attack has forced many residents to flee into nearby bushes for safety, even as fear and tension continue to grip the community.

Confirming the incident during a mass burial for the victims, the Executive Chairman of Bassa Local Government Area, Mr Joshua Riti, described the killings as tragic and unfortunate. Riti lamented that the attack occurred at a time when peace building efforts and stakeholders’ engagements in the area had started yielding positive results.

He appealed to both the Federal Government and the Plateau State government to urgently strengthen security in vulnerable communities, particularly as the farming season approaches.

“We had begun to witness relative peace through engagements with stakeholders before this unfortunate incident happened again,” he said. Also speaking, a community leader, Mr Lawrence Zongo, confirmed that two pregnant women were among those killed in the attack.