Tension in Jos after gunmen kill four traders

No fewer than four traders were feared killed on Monday when gunmen ambushed a group of six shoe sellers travelling from Gangare in Jos to Pankshin local government council for business, creating palpable tension in the community.

It was gathered that the victims were attacked by the gunmen before reaching Mangu Hale in Mangu local government.

The killing of the traders raised tensions within Jos and its environs, leading to the deployment of security personnel to restore order.

Read also: Seven killed, three injured in fresh Plateau attack

An official of the Traders and Marketers Association, Jos Main Market branch, Suleiman Abubakar confirmed the incident, stating that the victims were intercepted at gunpoint.

“Four out of the six traders from Gangare, Jos, going to Pankshin were attacked and killed. Two of them escaped, and we have spoken with them,” Abubakar said.

This development created tension around the Ganagre community in Jos after the news broke out.

Chinonso Oteh, the spokesman of  Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), was not available to confirm the incidence.

BusinessDay earlier reported that 10 persons were reportedly killed on Monday in the latest wave of violent attacks in Barkin Ladi and Riyom local government area of the state.

Rwang Tenwong, spokesperson of Berom Youth Moulders Association, confirmed this in a statement that 10 persons were killed by  gunmen.

Read also: Angry youths, women block highway over continued killings in Plateau

“Yesterday we recovered seven dead bodies of our members but this morning, two more dead bodies of community members were recovered from Dorowa Babuje,  Barkin Ladi local government area while another person was shot dead in Jol, Riyom local government council of the state,” Tengwong said.

Tengwong stated that the injured victims were rushed to nearby hospitals and still recovering while the dead bodies were deposited in the mortuary.

Alfred Alabo the spokesman of the Plateau State Police Command  was unreachable for comment when contacted.

Nathaniel E. Gbaoron is the Plateau State correspondent for BusinessDay and a seasoned journalist with a decade of experience covering sub-national affairs across Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Benue, Plateau, and other states.

He holds both National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mass Communication from Fidel Polytechnic, Gboko. Over the years, he has participated in numerous media trainings and workshops spanning various areas of reporting, strengthening his expertise in economic and political reporting, community-level governance, development stories, and conflict-sensitive journalism. He is a member of Correspondent Chapel in Plateau state, a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), he is also a Rotarian and a member of Plateau Club 1921.

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