Three people, including two women and a young man, have been killed after gunmen opened fire on traders and other road users at a vegetable market in Mangu town, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attack occurred at about 8 p.m. on Friday as traders and buyers were preparing to close for the day, sending the busy market into panic and forcing residents and passersby to flee in different directions.
President of the Mwaghavul Development Association (MDA), Bulus Dabit, who confirmed the incident, said the attackers fled immediately after opening fire.
Dabit said the identities of the deceased were yet to be established, while several other people who sustained serious injuries had been referred to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for treatment.
“At about 8 p.m. on Friday, gunmen shot several times at a vehicle leaving the vegetable market in Mangu, killing two women and a young man. The names of the victims are not known yet. Several passersby were seriously injured and were referred to the Jos University Teaching Hospital for treatment,” he said.
The MDA president expressed concern that the attack occurred despite the recent deployment of hundreds of soldiers to the area following deadly attacks in parts of Mangu Local Government Area last month.
He urged security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering and deploy technology capable of identifying and tracking suspected attackers before they carry out further attacks.
Dabit specifically called for the use of surveillance and other intelligence-gathering methods to locate the perpetrators and prevent further bloodshed in the area.
