At least eight people, mostly members of the same family, were killed when gunmen invaded Mbwelle village in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State late Thursday night. The attack occurred around 11 p.m. on April 9, 2026, with the assailants opening fire indiscriminately on residents for nearly an hour before fleeing the scene.
According to community leaders and eyewitness accounts, the gunmen stormed the rural settlement, which lies close to Bokkos town, and targeted homes in a sporadic shooting that left residents in panic. Three others were injured in the assault, while some community members remain unaccounted for.
The victims, all confirmed to be from one extended family, have been identified as:
1. Elder Iliya Mangut Dakus
2. Mr. Luck Titus Dakus
3. Mr. Habila Istifanu Dakus
4. Mr. Hassan Istifanus Dakus
5. Mrs. Hassan Moses Dakus
6. Biggie Lucky Dakus
7. Sunday Gideon Dakus
8. Mr. Innocent Barnabas Makwin
The bodies were laid to rest in a mass funeral on Friday, April 10, conducted by Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo at the graveside in Mbwelle village. The ceremony was marked by deep grief, with residents from various Christian denominations gathering to mourn.
Kefas Mallai, Chairman of the Bokkos Community Peace Observers, confirmed the incident and expressed outrage over the lack of immediate security response despite the village’s proximity to Bokkos town. “The attack lasted for several hours with no visible security presence to repel the attackers,” he said, adding that the community is now planning protests over the failure to protect residents. Youth Leader Christopher Luka described the assault as “a sad and devastating assault on the people of Bokkos and Plateau State as a whole.”
One survivor, the eldest son of Elder Iliya Mangut Dakus, recounted the horror in a viral video: “When I heard the sound, I tapped my wife and told her that some people are shooting… I managed to slip from the backdoor… the gunmen surrounded them and shot them in cold blood. This my father, this is my wife, these are my brothers and these are my children. Altogether eight of them are from the same family.”
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Plateau State Police Command were unsuccessful as of the latest reports. Joint security forces later responded to distress calls but found the attackers had already escaped into the surrounding terrain.
The incident comes amid persistent insecurity in Plateau State’s Bokkos axis, a region that has witnessed repeated attacks in recent years. Mbwelle village is the latest in a pattern of violence that has claimed lives across Bokkos and neighbouring areas, heightening fears and tension among residents. Community leaders have called for stronger security presence and urgent government intervention to prevent further bloodshed.
Authorities have not yet released details on possible motives or arrests related to the attack.
