At least nine people were killed on Wednesday night when gunmen attacked Chigwi village in Vwang District, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, during a crossover night celebration.
Iliya Chung, secretary to the district head of Vwang, confirmed the assault on Thursday, saying the victims included men, women and children.
Chung explained that the attack began around 10–11 p.m., with residents reporting gunfire. “By midnight, people started bringing in some of the victims. Yesterday, we received six bodies,” he said, adding that the death toll had risen to nine by Thursday morning.
“This morning, we confirmed nine fatalities — eight corpses and one person who later died at the hospital. Tension is high in the area. One family was wiped out, with only a single child surviving. We are still gathering information on the number of injured. Police are currently on the scene,” he said.
He revealed that the district head had earlier warned residents about a potential attack, though Farin Lamba community was reportedly the intended target. “Even though we advised people against holding crossover celebrations, we were told the attack would target Farin Lamba, but it occurred in another village,” Chung added.
Following the killings, the district has suspended its annual New Year celebration, which the state governor had planned to attend. “We were supposed to hold our New Year event today, and the governor intended to come. But in light of this tragedy, all celebrations have been cancelled,” he said.
Chung also recalled a similar attack two weeks ago in K-Vom Division, where a policeman on duty was killed and his gun taken.
Meanwhile, the Plateau State Police Command has yet to confirm the incident. Police Public Relations Officer Alfred Alabo said he was “working on some of this information” and would release further details once reports from officers on the ground were received.
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