GUNMEN have reportedly killed a pastor, Dauda Dalyop, his wife and three others in the Bassa area of in Plateau State.
It was gathered that the cleric with the Assemblies of God Church was killed alongside his wife and three others during the attack which took place in Kwall community, Bassa Local Government Area on Monday.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Irigwe Development Association, Sam Jugo, confirmed the development in a statement circulated to his kinsmen on Wednesday.
The statement obtained by our correspondent in Jos on Wednesday read,
“Dear kinsmen, We woke up this morning to another sad one. In the middle of the night of June 2, 2024, criminal invaders attacked and killed five of our residents in cold blood at Ari Songo (Songo’s House), Kimakpa, Kwall District. The criminal elements who came in their numbers with heavy weaponry killed Pastor Dauda Dalyop, 63 years (Assemblies of God Church, Kwall); Mrs Chummy Dauda, 57 years; Mr Chwe; Ajuhs, 26 years; Mr Joshua Kusa, 45 years; Mrs Rikwe Doro, _43 years.”
“Two persons were severely injured and are currently undergoing treatment at home. Troops of Operation Safe Haven were instantly mobilised to avert further genocide. There’s uneasy calm in Kwall District as of press time.
“This sad incident came just two days after some disgruntled elements ambushed some Rigwe youths on a motorcycle while returning from Gero mining site and killed instantly Mr Irmiya Musa Timbi and severely injured one other.
“We use this medium to further appeal for calm to enable the security agencies to carry out their investigations. We should upscale our vigilance, avoid night movements to distant destinations and suppress the urge for reprisal or taking the law into our hands and give the security agencies the benefit of the doubt. As much as we are quite saddened by this condemnable incident, we cannot afford to aggravate the situation by seeking self-help at this time. We call on the security agencies to do the needful by fishing out the culprits so that the affected will see justice being served as that’s the only way to restore the confidence of our people.”
In another statement which the National Publicity Secretary sent to his kinsmen on Wednesday after the burial of the victims, Jugo said, “This is to update you on the state of affairs at Kimakpa, Kwall on what has transpired so far.
“The police team and the LG Chairman stopped by to check the police outstation in Miango for possible upgrade and also visited the palace of the Brra Nggwe to console him over the incident at Kwall last night and other similar incidents in the last couple of days.
“The IDA President appealed to the police commissioner to consider upgrading the police outstation to a Division and also establish an outstation in Kwall. The CP promised to look into the matter. Meanwhile, the Operation Safe Haven commander has deployed officers of the Special Task Force to apprehend the culprits and they are already at work.
The police commissioner of Plateau State, O. E. Adesina, and senior police officers including the D. P. O. Bassa L. G. A. and the local government chairman, Mr. Fidelis Adara, with other local government staff came to inspect the incident and to condole with the people.
“The three Rigwe victims were buried after the police visit while the pastor and his wife were moved to the O.L.A. Hospital mortuary.
