At least 22 people, including health workers and security personnel, were killed when armed attackers stormed Kawel village in Mushere District of Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State, on Sunday night, escalating concerns over insecurity across Nigeria.
Residents said the gunmen invaded the community, opened fire indiscriminately and attacked a Primary Health Care Centre, where health workers and patients were among those killed. Several others sustained gunshot and machete injuries and were taken to hospitals for treatment.
Bokkos Youth Leader, Christopher Luka, confirmed that the death toll had risen to 22 following further assessments. However, the Plateau State Police Command officially confirmed 20 deaths, saying armed assailants attacked the community late Sunday night before security forces engaged them in a gun battle and forced them to retreat.
Reacting to the attack, the Plateau State Government condemned the killings and described them as a senseless act of violence against a peaceful community. Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang ordered security agencies to intensify operations, arrest the perpetrators and ensure they are brought to justice.
Meanwhile, panic gripped Owo in Ondo State after suspected kidnappers carried out two separate attacks. Gunmen attempted to abduct community leader Pastor Taiwo Taiwo but were repelled by police operatives. In a second incident, a woman, Taibat Ologun, and her two children were abducted after her husband was shot in the leg.
Security operatives later rescued the woman and her children unharmed after a gun battle forced the kidnappers to abandon them and flee. Police said efforts are ongoing to track down the suspects and dismantle criminal hideouts in the area.
In Oyo State, members of the Take It Back Movement staged a protest in Ibadan, blocking parts of the busy Iwo Road interchange to demand the release of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area in May. The demonstration caused major traffic disruptions and highlighted growing public frustration over worsening insecurity.
The South-West Coordinating Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, assured residents that security agencies were working tirelessly to secure the release of the abducted pupils and teachers. He expressed confidence that the victims would regain their freedom soon.
Separately, Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, said his advocacy for improved security was directed at criminal elements and not any ethnic group. He called for collective action against kidnapping, banditry and violent crimes across the country.
Also reacting to the security situation, Catholic Bishops of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province criticised the reintegration of repentant terrorists and bandits into society and security structures. The bishops argued that such policies undermine justice, diminish support for victims and could encourage further criminal activities.
The clerics urged the Federal Government and state authorities to strengthen intelligence gathering, improve policing, deploy modern security technology and consider the establishment of state police as part of broader efforts to tackle Nigeria’s growing security challenges.