The Police Command in Plateau has confirmed the killing of five persons by some unidentified gunmen at K/Vom community of Vwang District in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau.
Commissioner of Police, Edward Egbuka, who confirmed the incident to newsmen at the scene, said one other person was severely injured.
Egbuka, who described the killing as an ugly trend, said it has posed a serious setback to the peace effort in the state.
He said the incident occurred at about 10.30 p.m. on Thursday.
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“Last night, some yet to be identified gunmen attack a drinking joint in K/Vom community and shots five persons.
“But we are here and the situation is under control.
“This is a setback to the peace efforts that all stakeholders, the Police, the military and state government have being trying to manage,’’ he said.
Mr Dalyop Fom, the member representing Jos South Constituency in the Plateau House of Assembly, described the incident as ‘unfortunate and barbaric’.
Fom called on the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators.
“This is a sad moment for me and my peace loving constituents.
“Our people are not happy because we have being having these incidences over and over and we kept asking ourselves when will the next one happen?
“I want to urge the security agencies to do all within their powers to fish out the perpetrators of this dastardly act and bring them to book,’’ he urged.
Also, the District Head of Vwang, Da Gyang Balak, condemned the killings and described it as ‘man’s inhumanity to man’.
Balak, however, called on members of the community to remain calm and be law abiding, urging everyone to go about their lawful business.
The gunmen stormed the peaceful community and shot sporadically on the locals who were relaxing in their homes close to a relaxation centre.
Four persons were shot death in a relaxation spots while a student of the School of Animal Health Production Vom, was killed near a shop.
The incident has thrown the community, which houses the National Veterinary Research Institute Vom (NVIR), the National Institute for Policy and Strategy Study (NIPSS) and other federal government agencies, into mourning.
Youths in the community staged a peaceful protest demanding for the deployment of more security personnel to the area.
(NAN)
