Gunmen Kill Five at Canteen in Plateau

By Seriki Adinoyi

Five persons were Thursday night shot dead by gunmen that attacked a fast-food joint in Miango community of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.

THISDAY gathered that the victims were eating at the canteen in Nzharuvo, Miango when the gunmen swooped on them, killing all the customers and the shop owner, Miss Asabe Samuel. A school teacher identified as Mr. Gideon Tunku was among the customers killed.

The Chairman of Miango Youth Development Association, Nuhu Nkali, who confirmed the killings on Friday, said the incident happened on Thursday night.

Nkali said: “We just lost five of our people in a fresh attack. The victims were killed at a food shop in Nzharuvo Miango around 9:50 pm on Thursday. The shop is just along the road about 18 km to Jos.

“The victims just went there to eat when the gunmen came and shoot all of them dead; Miss Asabe Samuel, the shop owner, Mr. Gideon Tunku (school teacher), Bala Adi Joro, Audu Amadu Mi, and Shedrack Joshua.”

He said that the incident had been reported to the security agents who he said were already interrogating 10 persons suspected to have carried out the attack.

According to him, “When the attack took place yesterday, we informed the security personnel at their duty post not more than one kilometre from the scene of the incident.

“A few hours later around 1:18 am, a vehicle carrying 10 young men was intercepted by the vigilante at Jebu Bassa community. The vehicle made some suspicious turns before it was blocked by vigilantes and when they were interrogated, they claimed to be returning to Kaduna after supplying tomatoes in Shendam. But when one of them was interviewed separately, he said a different thing and claimed to be coming from Faringada Market in Jos.

“Right now, they are at the police station in Bassa because they are suspected to be the ones who carried out the attack in our community and were making their escape when they were caught.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Gabriel Ubah Ogaba, who confirmed the killing, added that investigations were ongoing to unravel the people behind the attack.