Death Toll Rises to 22 as Gunmen Storm Village, Attack Clinic, Kill Health Workers, Patients and Residents

Death Toll Rises to 22 as Gunmen Storm Village, Attack Clinic, Kill Health Workers, Patients and Residents 

June 23, 2026

Fresh tragedy has struck Plateau State as the death toll from a deadly overnight attack on Kawel village in Mushere District of Bokkos Local Government Area has risen to 22, with women, health workers, patients and residents among those brutally killed by armed assailants.

The horrifying assault, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday, has once again thrown the state into mourning and reignited concerns over the worsening security crisis in communities across Plateau.

Residents, community leaders and emergency responders said heavily armed gunmen invaded the village under the cover of darkness, opening fire indiscriminately on sleeping residents and unleashing terror on the community.

The attackers reportedly targeted homes and even stormed the community's primary healthcare centre, where they killed health workers on duty, patients receiving treatment and several other innocent civilians.

The Plateau State Police Command confirmed the incident on Monday, stating that at least 20 people had officially been confirmed dead, although local leaders insist the figure has risen to 22 following subsequent assessments.

In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, the command said the attack occurred at about 4:40 a.m. on Sunday.

"The Plateau State Police Command is deeply saddened to confirm an attack on Kawel Community, Mushere District, Bokkos Local Government Area, in the early hours of Sunday, 21st June 2026, by a group of armed hoodlums," the statement read.

According to the police, Commissioner of Police, CP Bassey Ewah, immediately ordered the Divisional Police Officer in Bokkos to mobilise officers to the scene.

Security operatives, alongside members of the command's Violent Crime Response Unit and other sister agencies, engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle, eventually forcing them to retreat from the community.

However, by the time security forces gained control of the area, extensive damage had already been done.

Police disclosed that 18 victims were found dead at the scene, while three injured persons were rushed to a hospital for treatment. Two of those victims later succumbed to their injuries, bringing the official death toll to 20.

Authorities said the bodies had been released to their families for immediate burial after relatives declined requests for autopsies.

Commissioner Ewah expressed condolences to the bereaved families and residents of Bokkos, describing the incident as a tragic loss for the state.

To prevent further attacks, he ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations and the Area Commander in Pankshin to relocate to the affected area and coordinate intensified security operations.

Additional tactical teams and personnel of the Police Mobile Force have also been deployed to restore calm and launch an aggressive manhunt for the perpetrators.

The commissioner urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing timely and credible intelligence that could aid ongoing operations.

Meanwhile, local sources say the situation remains tense, with many villagers fleeing their homes for fear of another attack.

A Red Cross official involved in emergency response efforts, who spoke anonymously, revealed that the healthcare facility in the community was one of the main targets of the attackers.

According to the official, the gunmen invaded the clinic and opened fire on medical personnel and patients who were receiving treatment.

"Those confirmed dead include civilians and security personnel, while several others sustained varying degrees of gunshot and machete injuries," the official said.

Survivors have since been evacuated to nearby hospitals for emergency treatment and stabilisation.

Bokkos Youth Leader, Christopher Luka, who personally visited the affected hospital, said the actual death toll had risen to 22.

"I visited the hospital and saw the situation myself. So far, 22 deaths have been recorded, including women. The victims are yet to be buried because of the heavy rainfall experienced since morning," he said.

"The victims included health workers serving at the hospital and some patients who were receiving treatment."

Also confirming the incident, Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos Local Government Area, Kefas Mallai, described the attackers as terrorists who successfully carried out the deadly operation before escaping.

"It was in the early hours of today that some terrorists attacked a village called Kawel in Mushere community and killed about 22 people," he said.

Mallai disclosed that although security personnel eventually arrived at the scene, the attackers had already fled.

"The criminals left without being apprehended, but security agents are now combing nearby bushes in search of the perpetrators," he added.

He accused security agencies of failing to act on prior intelligence and alleged that armed groups have established operational bases in nearby occupied communities.

According to him, areas such as Hokk, Luwa-Pan and Kadim have become hideouts for criminal elements responsible for repeated attacks in the region.

"We have those occupied communities like Hokk, Luwa-Pan, Kadim and other places where these terrorists are presently operating from," he alleged.

Mallai called on authorities to take decisive and urgent action against the hideouts, warning that attacks would continue if the situation was not addressed.

The latest bloodshed comes barely days after the killing of the District Head of Gwande in Bokkos Local Government Area, Saf Samuel Alaket, who was reportedly ambushed and murdered while returning from a traditional council meeting along the Sha District axis bordering Daffo community.

The back-to-back attacks have intensified fears among residents, many of whom are demanding stronger security measures and immediate government intervention.

For years, communities in Bokkos and several other parts of Plateau State have suffered repeated cycles of violence, leaving behind hundreds of deaths, displaced families and deepening humanitarian challenges.

As mourning continues in Kawel village, residents say they are living in fear, uncertain about what the next day may bring, while families prepare to bury loved ones lost in yet another devastating chapter of Plateau State's long-running security crisis.