Four suspected illegal miners have been killed after unidentified gunmen opened fire on a vehicle conveying them from a mining site in Ganna Ropp, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
According to a preliminary account, the incident occurred at about 3:38 a.m. on Sunday.
It was gathered that troops of Sector 4, Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), reportedly responded to a distress call concerning a shooting involving an Opel vehicle carrying four suspected illegal miners at Ganna Ropp village.
Upon arriving at the scene, the troops found all four occupants of the vehicle dead from gunshot wounds.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the victims were returning from a mining site in the Ganna Ropp area when unidentified gunmen attacked their vehicle.
Two of the victims were identified as the driver, Mallam Sadam, and a man identified as Mr Umar.
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The identities of the other two victims had not been established as of the time of filing the report.
The bodies were subsequently evacuated by personnel of the Keystone Outpost in Ganna Ropp for further necessary action.
Following the attack, troops launched offensive operations and intensified their presence in the area as part of efforts to track down the perpetrators.
Security forces are also continuing investigations aimed at establishing the circumstances surrounding the killings and identifying those responsible for the attack.
The incident comes amid continuing security concerns in parts of Plateau State, where communities and security agencies have faced challenges linked to criminal activities and violence.