1000 Worshippers Escape Massacre In Jos On Sunday

Security agents in a church in Jos, Plateau State, on Sunday prevented an attack on worshippers by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

The gunmen were said to have targeted the church located at the Rantya low cost area of Nyago Gyel district in the Jos South Local Government Area. They had descended from the hills and were about to launch the attack when a member of the church’s security team spotted them.

Though the gunmen, in their hundreds, immediately started shooting sporadically in the direction of the church, they were repelled by men of the Special Task Force.

An eyewitness, Mr. Godwin Okoko, said that but for the vigilance of the police and soldiers attached to the STF, who responded to distress calls by the worshippers, the gunmen would have succeeded.

Okoko said about 1,000 people were in the church  at about 10am preparing to commence Sunday worship  “when the gunmen  started descending from the hills and started shooting but were swiftly  repelled by men of the STF.”

Okoko is the country coordinator of a non-governmental organisation, Apurimac Onlus.

Plateau State Police Commissioner, Mr. Chris Olakpe, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Sunday.

He said that no life was lost and nobody was arrested.

“My men got a distress call that some gunmen were planning to attack a church as the worshippers were about to commence service. We stormed the area and there was a heavy exchange of gunfire between the gunmen and a combined force of policemen and STF.”