A serving police officer has been declared missing as over 20 people have been killed and several others injured in an attack on Kawel village, Mushere Chiefdom in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday night.

Conflict journalist, Masara Kim, who confirmed the invasion of the community on a post he shared on social media on Monday morning said, the assailants who were positively identified as Fulani militias numbering over 100, stormed the village at about 10:30pm after residents had retired for the night.

The attackers, armed with sophisticated weapons, easily overpowered the local youths providing security for the community, and went from house to house shooting sleeping residents, Kim said.

He added that many of those who were killed were slaughtered in their beds and some who escaped out of their houses were either mowed down or shot at while trying to escape into bushes with gunshot wounds.

Adams Ayuba, a member of the community, who spoke on Monday morning said the attack came after a security alert on an impending invasion, but reports to security agencies were not taken seriously.

“This attack was highly coordinated by the Fulani militias and their sponsors. Although I do not live in the village, I was told that few days ago, there was a security alert, after the sighting of many Fulani people gathering around the outskirts of the village.

“Our people duly informed the security agencies of the sighting but the security operatives did nothing like sending men to the village. The bandits came to our village last night (Sunday), going from house to house and killed well over 20 people.

“I also heard one of our youth, a police officer who tried to fight back, is missing. “We don’t know whether he was killed or kidnapped or if he escaped,” Ayuba said.

Another community member, Patience Ibrahim, who lost four family members in the attack, wrote on social media.

“My in-laws died in this same attack. Four members of the same family were killed in one house. Jesus, that’s too much. And people are backing these evil acts for their selfish political interest! “May this evil visit you and wipe out your whole clan.”

As at the time of this report, both the Plateau State Police Command and the Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace, OPEP, have not issued official statements on the attack.