A bloody weekend has gripped Plateau State as coordinated attacks by marauding gunmen left at least 16 people dead, including a police officer, across the Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Kanam, and Pankshin Local Government Areas.
The violence, which escalated between Saturday evening and Sunday morning, saw armed invaders storming multiple communities, sparking fresh humanitarian concerns in a region already reeling from the recent killing of 13 people in Bassa.
In addition to the fatalities, five individuals were abducted, and six others remain hospitalized with life-threatening injuries following the coordinated strikes.
The Barkin Ladi area bore the brunt of the onslaught, with ten deaths reported in the communities of Sabon Layi, Rakung, Gangare, and the General Hospital area.
Witnesses described a harrowing scene as gunmen moved freely through the town, opening fire on residents and mourners. Among the victims was Gyang Kim Choji, a local resident who had reportedly provided part of his home to house security personnel, only to be slaughtered just meters from a military checkpoint.
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) also confirmed that three cattle rearers were among those killed during the weekend’s volatility.
In Riyom and Pankshin, the violence took a different turn as disputes over land usage turned fatal. Three people were killed in the Gwa-Rim community of Riyom, while a fourth person died in Pankshin during a violent clash between security operatives and residents of the Myer community.
Local sources indicate the Pankshin incident was triggered by a disagreement between farmers and herders after landowners requested that grazing activities cease to allow for the upcoming farming season.
The resulting exchange of gunfire prompted a visit from the Pankshin Council Chairman, Felix Amos Gonung, to monitor the recovery of the injured at the General Hospital.
The Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM) has reacted with outrage, officially passing a vote of no confidence on the leadership of Sector 4 of Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP).
In a scathing statement, BYM National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong, accused the military command of “gross incompetence and negligence,” noting that 34 people have been killed in the sector’s jurisdiction in the last month alone.
The association highlighted the disturbing paradox of attacks occurring in close proximity to established security checkpoints and called for the immediate redeployment of top sector commanders to prevent the area from descending into “total anarchy.”
As of Monday, a heavy shroud of fear hangs over the affected local government areas, with residents in Kanam’s Furyam community still searching for loved ones following a midnight raid that saw several people abducted.
Despite the mounting death toll and the destruction of over 70 hectares of farmland, official responses remain scarce.
Both the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, and the Media Officer for Operation Enduring Peace, Capt. Chinedu Oteh, have yet to issue formal statements or respond to inquiries regarding the breakdown of security in the state.
