At least 24 residents of Binpe in Kombun District of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State have been killed, and many others injured, by gunmen in the early hours of Tuesday.

Multiple local sources who escaped the incident revealed that the gunmen, who have been terrorising parts of the state, attacked Binpe village at about 12:45 am after the residents had gone to bed.

The Nigerian Tribune learned from security sources that the gunmen, in their numbers, entered the village covertly and dispersed to different homes, where they used dangerous weapons, particularly daggers, to attack inhabitants.

“Based on what we gathered, they parked their motorcycles somewhere and entered the village in contrast to their earlier raids in other places where they frequently heard gunfire during their entrance.

“It was as if they had planned out which houses to attack. They broke into houses and killed people with dangerous weapons like dagger and other cudgels to keep residents of the neighbouring villages from knowing what was going on” the source said

A local source who simply identified himself as Nicholas, and claimed to be coming from a journey at the time of the occurrence, said that they moved from house to house, killing individuals unmolested, then left quietly after the dastardly act.

He added that the twenty-four people who died were killed in their respective homes while sleeping, and that the manner was strategic to prevent notice from nearby villages.

The National President of the Mwaghavul Development Association, Deacon Bulus Dabit, who confirmed the unfortunate incident, expressed shock and sadness over the incident, stating that it is regrettable that people can no longer sleep with their eyes closed.

“We have lots of humanity; something is wrong with our society, if people can carry out such a barbaric act against their fellow human beings. Even in war situations people are not being killed in this manner, so the government and the security agencies should brace up to arrest this terrible situation that is gradually becoming a way of life.

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“Therefore, my heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the 24 innocent people who lost their lives. This heinous act is a reminder of continued insecurity,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nigerian Tribune gathered that residents of the nearby villages have started packing for fear of being attacked.

As at the time of filing this report, the spokesman of the Plateau State Police Command, SP Alfred Alabo, could not be reached for comment.