By Christiana Lot
Gunmen have tragically taken the lives of Honorable Sylvanus Namang, the State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Plateau State, along with another individual on Saturday. This incident has plunged the APC community in Plateau State into mourning.
According to a source familiar with the matter in Jos, the deceased had traveled to the Pankshin local government area early on Saturday for a burial ceremony and was socializing with acquaintances at a leisure spot when the unfortunate event unfolded.
Reports indicate that approximately ten armed assailants arrived at the leisure spot around 8:00 p.m., firing shots indiscriminately into the air. This sudden violence incited panic among those present, prompting them to flee for safety.
The gunmen specifically targeted the area where the publicity secretary was seated with companions, fatally shooting him at close range. Another individual nearby was abducted by the assailants and forcibly taken away.
Regrettably, Namang succumbed to his injuries at the scene, while the body of an unidentified individual was later discovered along a major roadway in the vicinity. The deceased’s remains were subsequently transported to a local mortuary.
Confirming this distressing development to the Nigerian Tribune, the State Chairman of the APC, Honorable Rufus Bature, characterized Namang’s murder as a brutal act committed by unidentified gunmen in Pankshin.
Likewise, the party’s organizing secretary, Mr. Philip Adiks, expressed a lack of comprehensive information regarding the circumstances surrounding Namang’s demise, noting that the state secretary had been dispatched to Pankshin for further details. Adiks lamented the loss of a committed party member and expressed hope for clarity upon the secretary’s return.
Efforts to contact the spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, DSP Alfred Alabo, proved unsuccessful as repeated attempts to reach him via phone were unsuccessful.
