Security agencies in Jos foiled a planned attack in Jos on Sunday as hundreds of early morning worshippers in a Plateau church escaped death from some gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.
The gunmen were said to have targeted the church located at Rant ya Low Cost area of Ny Gyel district of Jos South Local Government area of the state.
They had descended the hills and were about to launch their deadly mission before one of the church’s guards was said to have spotted them.
They bandits immediately started shooting indiscriminately in the direction of the church said to be housing about 1,000 worshippers before they were repelled by men of the Special Task Force..
The development came as a high security alert was ordered at the Jos prisons following the threat by members of the Boko Haram to invade the prison and free prisoners.
An eyewitness, Mr. Godwin Okoko, told our correspondent that but for the vigilance of the police and soldiers attached to the STF, who responded to the distress calls by the worshippers, the gunmen would have succeeded in carrying out a mass massacre.
The development was said to have created tension around the locality as churches around the area hurriedly ended their worship
Okoko, who is the country coordinator of a non governmental organization, Apurimac Onlus, said the worshippers had gathered for a church scheduled commence at about 10am.
Plateau State Police Commissioner, Mr. Chris Olakpe, confirmed the incident to our correspondent in an interview on Sunday.
He said no life was lost and none of the gunmen was arrested.
“My men got a distress call that some gunmen are 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.”
The gunmen quickly disappeared into the hills.
