The death toll from a deadly attack on Kawel village in Mushere District of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State has risen to 22, according to community leaders and emergency responders.

Gunmen reportedly invaded the community in the early hours of Sunday, opening fire on residents and leaving a trail of destruction that claimed the lives of civilians, health workers, patients and security personnel.

Confirming the incident, the Plateau State Police Command said the attack occurred at about 4:40 a.m. on Sunday when armed assailants stormed the community.

In a statement issued on Monday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, the command disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Bassey Ewah, immediately ordered the deployment of security personnel to the area following reports of the attack.

According to the police, operatives from the Bokkos Division, in collaboration with personnel of the command's Violent Crime Response Unit and other security agencies, engaged the attackers in a gun battle, forcing them to retreat.

The command stated that 18 persons were initially confirmed dead at the scene, while three injured victims were rushed to hospital for treatment. 

Two of the injured victims later died, bringing the official casualty figure to 20.

"The remains of the victims have since been released to their families for burial, as the families declined an autopsy," the statement said.

However, local sources and community leaders insist the death toll has climbed to 22 following further assessments of the attack.

A Red Cross official involved in the emergency response, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that the attackers also targeted the community's primary healthcare centre, where health workers and patients receiving treatment were among those killed.

The official said several other victims sustained gunshot and machete wounds and had been evacuated to medical facilities for treatment.

Bokkos Youth Leader, Christopher Luka, who visited affected hospitals, said 22 deaths had so far been recorded.

"I visited the hospital and saw the situation myself. So far, 22 deaths have been recorded, including women. The victims included health workers serving at the hospital and some patients who were receiving treatment," he said.

The Chairman of the Community Peace Observers in Bokkos Local Government Area, Kefas Mallai, also confirmed the casualty figure, describing the attack as another tragic incident in the troubled community.

According to him, security personnel arrived at the scene after the attackers had fled.

The spokesman for the military task force in Plateau State, Capt. Chinonso Oteh, acknowledged that there had been a security breach in the area but said he was yet to receive a detailed briefing on the incident.

In response to the attack, the Commissioner of Police directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations and the Area Commander in Pankshin to relocate temporarily to the affected community to coordinate security operations.

Additional tactical teams and Police Mobile Force personnel have also been deployed to the area to restore calm and support ongoing efforts to track down the perpetrators.

Security sources disclosed that troops have intensified search operations in surrounding forests and bushes within Mushere District as part of a coordinated manhunt for the attackers.

While commiserating with the families of the victims and residents of Bokkos, CP Ewah urged members of the public to remain calm and continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to aid efforts aimed at restoring peace and preventing further attacks in the area.