Plateau: Farmers killed in ambush while harvesting tomatoes

At least three members of the same family have been killed and two others seriously injured following a deadly ambush in the Te’ebbe community of Miango District, Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau State.

The victims, who were local farmers, were reportedly harvesting tomatoes on their farm when they were attacked by unknown assailants. The gruesome incident has left the community in shock and mourning.

According to eyewitness accounts, the two survivors sustained severe injuries and were immediately rushed to a hospital in Jos for emergency medical attention.

The attack occurred at a time when a fact-finding committee, recently set up by Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, was actively investigating the rising wave of insecurity and violent attacks across the region.

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Mutfwang to investigate the causes of the Plateau crisis from 2001 to the present, was engaging with the community and security personnel at the Bassa LGA secretariat.

Our correspondent reports that journalists accompanying the fact-finding committee witnessed the evacuation of the victims by local residents.

General Rogers, speaking at the scene of the incident, said, “Today is one of the saddest days of my life. At the moment, we are in this village. We were discussing with the Local Government chairman at the secretariat about ways to ensure peace in Bassa when we were informed of the attack.

“We quickly mobilised with the chairman, my team, and other security agencies. We found three bodies on the ground—three innocent women. One of the victims, a man, was critically injured, nearly dead. The other victim has been rushed to Jos for treatment. The victims were in their fields harvesting tomatoes when they were attacked. These are innocent young girls who have been killed.

“For us, this is a terrible situation. We appeal to the Irigwe youth not to take the law into their own hands and to allow security agencies to handle the situation. The deceased have been taken away for burial,” the committee chairman stated.

In a related development, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to see the surviving victims of the tragic incident in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, where citizens of his state were murdered and several others injured.