A deadly attack on a mining site in Kuru community, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, has claimed the lives of seven people.
The attack, which occurred on Wednesday night, also left several others injured.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Artisanal Mining, Emmanuel Solomon, confirmed the incident on Thursday.
“I have just been informed about the attack in the Kuru community which happened last night. Seven people died in the attack. I’m about to go to the community to see things by myself,” Solomon said.
Describing the incident as “rather unfortunate,” Solomon noted that it was part of a series of recent attacks targeting miners in the local government area.
“Just before yesterday, in another community in Gyel, they attacked three people, but one of them escaped. Unfortunately, two died. The victims were on their way to a mining site when they were ambushed and killed,” he explained.
He further disclosed that about two weeks earlier, gunmen ambushed another group of miners, killing two people and injuring one.
“The one injured is currently at Lome Hospital receiving treatment, and the one who died is my younger brother. It’s unfortunate that some people are just moving about killing innocent people in the state,” Solomon said.
He stressed that the situation “requires urgent attention” and assured that the Plateau State Government would “look into the matter so that miners can have security back-up going forward.”
When contacted, the Jos South Area Commander of the Nigerian Forest Security Service, Pam Gyang Pwajok, said he was not yet aware of the incident but will get back to to newsmen.
The latest attack adds to growing concerns over the safety of artisanal miners in Plateau State, amid rising violence in mining communities across Jos South and other parts of the state.