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Plateau massacre: Death toll rises above 30 as residents count losses 

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Death toll from Sunday night’s attack on Kawel village in Mushere Chiefdom of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State has reportedly risen to 30, as some of the injured victims succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment in the hospital.

Community leaders and residents have also reported that some of the victims include health workers and security personnel who were also caught in the crossfire during the attack.

Residents said the attack was carried out by suspected Fulani militias who invaded the village in their hundreds and attacked the residents who had already retired for the night.

A youth leader in Bokkos LGA, Christopher Luka, who spoke with journalists earlier in the day, also confirmed that the death toll had risen following fresh assessments.

“I visited the hospital and saw the situation myself. So far, 22 deaths have been recorded, including women. The victims are yet to be buried because of the rainfall experienced since morning,” Luka said.

He also confirmed that the victims included health workers serving at the hospital and some patients who were receiving treatment.

The Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos LGA, Kefas Mallai, also confirmed the rise in the death toll, saying as at Monday afternoon, not less than 25 people had been certified dead following the attack.

According to Mallai, the impact of the attack would have been less if security personnel had arrived on time. He lamented that despite frantic calls, security operatives did not come on time to tackle the invaders.

Mallai also accused security agencies of inaction despite prior intelligence, alleging that attackers operate from nearby occupied communities.

“The criminals left without being apprehended, but the security agents are now scattered in the bushes looking for whether they can arrest any of the perpetrators,” he said.

Also confirming the development, the Plateau State Police Command said the command has already commenced an investigation into the incident, while a manhunt is on to apprehend the fleeing bandits.

“The Plateau State Police Command is deeply saddened to confirm an attack on Kawel Community, Mushere District, Bokkos Local Government Area, in the early hours of Sunday, 21st June 2026, at about 04:40am, by a group of armed hoodlums,” the Police statement signed by the In a statement issued by the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, said.

“Upon receipt of the information, the Commissioner of Police,e Plateau State Command, CP Bassey Ewah, immediately directed the Divisional Police Officer, Bokkos Division, to mobilise police personnel to the scene.

“The team, in collaboration with operatives of the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) and other sister security agencies, engaged the assailants in a fierce gun battle, forcing them to retreat.

“Regrettably, eighteen (18) persons were confirmed dead at the scene of the attack, while three (3) others were rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

“Subsequently, two (2) of the injured victims were confirmed dead by a medical doctor, bringing the total number of casualties to twenty (20).

“The remains of the victims have since been released to their families for burial, as the families declined an autopsy,” Alabo said.



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Metro

Gun battle erupts as troops chase kidnappers, rescue two victims in Plateau

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Troops of Operation Safe Haven, OPSH, have rescued two persons who were abducted by suspected kidnappers in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

This was made known in a post on X by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency and security expert in the Lake Chad region.

Makama disclosed that the victims, identified as Victor Ibikuzhu and Tongriang Dayok Salihu, were abducted on Monday night at Kwang village in Jos North and later rescued during a military pursuit operation.

Security sources said troops of Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, responded to a distress call and immediately mobilised to the area alongside personnel of the Keystone security outfit.

The report stated that the security team launched a pursuit operation along routes believed to have been used by the suspected kidnappers.

Makama reported that troops later established contact with the fleeing suspects, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

The suspected kidnappers were said to have abandoned the victims and escaped into nearby bushes after coming under pressure from the security team.

“The kidnappers were said to have abandoned the victims and escaped into nearby bushes following the superior firepower of the troops,” the report quoted the sources as saying.

The two victims were reportedly rescued unharmed and reunited with their families shortly after the operation.

Security sources said efforts are ongoing to track down and apprehend the fleeing suspects.



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Police arrest 22-year-old for allegedly impersonating officer in Lagos

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Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 22-year-old man, Onipede Ojo, for allegedly stealing a police officer’s bag containing official and personal items before using the materials to impersonate a serving officer.

According to the command, the stolen items included a police camouflage uniform, warrant card, mobile phone, ATM card and other personal belongings belonging to a police officer.

Police authorities alleged that the suspect wore the stolen camouflage uniform in an attempt to present himself as a legitimate officer.

In a video circulating on X, Ojo claimed he found the police uniform, which reportedly carried the name tag of an inspector identified as Jimoh Weheed, along Maryland Road in Lagos.

The police said residents became suspicious after noticing that the suspect’s conduct and appearance did not match that of a genuine police officer.

The suspicion reportedly led members of the public to question him, during which it was allegedly discovered that he was impersonating a police operative.

He was subsequently apprehended and handed over to the police for further investigation.

The Lagos State Police Command confirmed that the suspect remains in custody and would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

The command also commended residents for their vigilance and sense of civic responsibility in helping to identify the suspect.

However, the police strongly condemned all forms of jungle justice and cautioned residents against taking the law into their own hands irrespective of the offence allegedly committed.

According to the command, the laws of Lagos State do not support extrajudicial punishment, urging members of the public to always hand over suspects to law enforcement agencies for proper investigation and prosecution.

The police further appealed to residents to remain security-conscious and continue to support security agencies by reporting suspicious persons, activities and movements while allowing due process to prevail.



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Katsina police arrest man over alleged sale of adulterated, unsafe milk

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Police in Katsina State have arrested a man accused of tampering with expired powdered milk and selling it to members of the public in Funtua local government area.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, said in a statement on Monday that officers from the Makera Police Division arrested the suspect after receiving credible intelligence.

According to him, the suspect was intercepted on June 14 with 10 bags of powdered milk believed to be expired and unsafe for consumption.

Investigators reportedly found that the suspect allegedly mixed the expired milk with genuine products before repackaging it in fake bags and selling it to unsuspecting customers.

Police said the recovered products have been kept as evidence, while the suspect remains in custody pending further investigation.

Sadiq-Aliyu said the suspect would be arraigned in court after the investigation is concluded.

He added that the alleged offences contravene Sections 152 and 154 of the Penal Code Law 2021 (as amended), which prohibit the sale and adulteration of harmful food and drinks.

“The suspect is in custody as the investigation proceeds. He will be formally arraigned and charged in a court of competent jurisdiction upon the conclusion of the investigation,” the statement added.

The Commissioner of Police, Ali Umar-Fage, warned traders and business owners against engaging in activities that could endanger public health and urged residents to report suspicious business activities to the nearest police station.



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