Gunmen kill district head in Plateau ambush

Gunmen have killed the district head of Gwande, Saf Samuel Alaket, in an ambush in Plateau State.

The attack occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Sha District, near the boundary with Daffo in Bokkos Local Government Area, residents said.

Community sources told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Alaket was returning home from the popular Tuesday market in Daffo when gunmen intercepted his vehicle. He had earlier attended a traditional council meeting in Bokkos before embarking on the journey.

Witnesses said the attackers opened fire near the Sha–Daffo boundary, leaving the monarch critically injured. He was rushed to a nearby clinic, where he died.

A community member, Mr Aten Pukat, confirmed the killing, describing it as a devastating loss to Gwande and the wider Bokkos area.

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He said the incident had plunged the Bokkos Traditional Council and residents into mourning.

“Saf Samuel Alaket was widely respected for his commitment to peace and community development,” Mr Pukat said, adding that condolences had continued to pour in from traditional institutions, community leaders and sympathisers.

Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the police were unsuccessful as calls to the spokesperson, Alfred Alabo, were not returned as of the time of filing this report.