Suspected gunmen have killed eight persons during an attack on a mining site at Shawalan Kuru in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau state.
The attack, which was carried out on Friday evening, has thrown the community into mourning.
The corpses have been handed over to the relatives of the deceased.
Reacting to the killings, Governor Simon Lalong in a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr Makut Macham, on Saturday in Jos described the incident as an attempt to destabilise the state.
He said the act by the criminals was to create fear in the state saying that government would not condone such attacks on innocent people.
He directed security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous act, which is a threat to the substantial peace being enjoyed in the state.
He said that the narratives of ‘unknown gunmen’ excuses would no longer be tolerated from the agencies.
He also charged residents to assist law enforcement agencies with intelligence gathering on criminal activities.
He said that they should do so through existing structures such as the traditional institutions, community police constabulary, vigilance groups and other associations.
Lalong commiserated with the families of those killed and those who injured during the attack