Fifteen persons including a one-year-old boy were reportedly murdered in cold blood by assailants on Sunday night at Ri Do, also known as Gidan Ado a hamlet of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The leadership of the Irigwe Development Association in a press statement issued in Jos, and signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Sam Jugo stated that the community predominantly inhabited by Irigwe Natives from Bassa was attacked in the night without any provocation by yet-to-be-identified gunmen, who invaded the hamlet and killed 15 persons.
Several other persons were also seriously injured in the attack.
Expressing concerns about the unprovoked attack coming a few hours to the yuletide, the leadership of the association urged security agencies, to ensure that such heinous acts are prevented as well as caution on reprisal.
“The identities of the perpetrators have not yet been ascertained as of press time, and therefore it will be ill-conceived to state it here in order not to preempt or interfere with the outcome of ongoing investigations by the security agencies.
“While appealing for restraint on our side, the leadership of Irigwe Development Association (IDA) hopes that the security agencies will do the needful to nip probable reoccurrence and/or reprisals in future.” The statement added.
While the joint security task force Operation Safe Haven and the police are yet to comment on the attack, the victims have been given a mass burial at the community burial ground.