Fear and grief have deepened across Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State following another deadly attack on Amper community, where more than 20 people, including women and children, are feared dead and several others remain missing.
The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday in BWI District, is the third reported violent incident in Mangu within one week, raising fresh concerns over the deteriorating security situation in the area.
Residents said the attackers stormed the community while many people were asleep, leaving families devastated and forcing others to flee for safety.
The Plateau State Police Command confirmed that casualties had been recorded, although the exact figure was still being established.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Alfred Alabo, said the initial report received by the police put the number of victims at 18. He added that the figure could rise above 20 as security personnel continued to gather information from the affected community.
According to him, the Commissioner of Police, Faniyan Ayodeji, alongside senior officers, was heading to the scene to assess the situation and obtain firsthand information.
The latest violence has intensified anxiety among residents, coming barely days after another attack in the area in which at least one person was reportedly shot.
With several people still unaccounted for, community members fear the casualty figure could rise further as searches continue.
The renewed attacks have also revived concerns over the safety of vulnerable communities in Mangu, particularly in areas where residents have repeatedly complained about insecurity.
Residents and community stakeholders are now calling for an urgent and sustained security response, warning that repeated attacks could deepen displacement, destroy livelihoods and further destabilise communities already struggling to recover from previous violence.
For many families in Amper, however, Tuesday’s attack has turned another night into a painful search for loved ones, with the full scale of the tragedy still unfolding.