At least forty people have been confirmed dead following a brutal attack by unidentified assailants on Zike community in Kimakpa, located within the Kwall district of Bassa Local Government Area in Plateau State.

According to local sources, the assault took place in the early hours of Monday, with the attackers storming the village and opening fire indiscriminately. Residents, startled by the sound of gunfire, fled in panic, but many were caught in the hail of bullets.

A community leader in Kwall, Wakili Tongwe, revealed that he and a group of vigilantes, along with some security personnel, were on patrol in a nearby community when the assault occurred.

“We were on routine patrol in a different area when the attackers struck. By the time we arrived, they had already done significant damage,” Tongwe said.

He added that while the joint team of vigilantes and security operatives engaged the assailants and eventually repelled them, the casualties were already high. Thirty-six people were confirmed dead at the scene, with four others succumbing to their injuries later in hospital.

Several other villagers sustained gunshot wounds and are currently receiving treatment in medical facilities nearby.

As of the time of filing this report, security agencies in Plateau State are yet to issue any official statement regarding the incident.

This latest massacre comes barely two weeks after a similar attack in the Bokkos Local Government Area of the state, where over fifty people lost their lives in coordinated assaults on several communities.

Tension has gripped residents of Odigbo town in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State following the shocking discovery of three headless corpses floating in a river along the Osogbo/Ore Road on Wednesday.

The gory sight, which has thrown the community into panic, was first reported by a resident identified as Sileola, who alleged that the victims may have been gruesomely murdered by suspected kidnappers and dumped in the river.

“No one in our community has been able to identify the bodies,” Sileola told reporters. “It’s terrifying because we don’t know who they are, and as of now, no one has been declared missing here. It’s like they were brought from somewhere else.”

Confirming the development,  the spokesperson of the Ondo State Police Command, SP Olusola Ayanlade, said the matter was reported to the Ore Division of the command, prompting an immediate response.

“The Divisional Police Officer led a team of detectives to the scene where the bodies were recovered and taken to the morgue at the General Hospital,” Ayanlade stated. “Investigations are currently ongoing.”

He revealed that while the victims remain unidentified, preliminary suspicion is that they may have been swept down the river from another location. No case of a missing person has been reported in the area so far.

According to Ayanlade, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Wilfred Afolabi, has already ordered community leaders to assist law enforcement by working to establish the identities of the deceased.

Meanwhile, the grim discovery has sparked renewed calls for heightened security patrols in and around the Ore axis, a notorious flashpoint for criminal activities.

Residents are urging the authorities to intensify surveillance efforts and unravel the mystery behind the chilling find to prevent a recurrence.

Tragedy struck on Tuesday morning in Akure, the Ondo State capital, as prominent socialite and hotelier, Mr. Adesoji Adeleye, was gruesomely murdered by unknown assailants at his hotel.

Sources confirmed that the shocking incident occurred while Adeleye was in one of the rooms within his hotel premises, reportedly preparing for the day’s business.

According to an eyewitness account, the armed men gained access to the hotel and headed straight for the victim, who was already up and about. The intruders were said to have overpowered him, stabbing him multiple times until he succumbed to his injuries. His lifeless body was later discovered lying in a pool of blood.

The brutal nature of the killing has sent shockwaves across the Akure social and hospitality scenes, where Adeleye was a well-known figure.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, SP Olusola Ayanlade, said the command has already deployed a team of detectives to the scene of the crime. He added that efforts are underway to apprehend those responsible for the heinous act.

The motive behind the killing remains unknown as at press time, but residents and patrons of the hotel are calling for swift justice.