Gunmen Kill 6, Injure 12 in Fresh Wave of Violence Across Plateau Communities

Gunmen have launched fresh attacks in Plateau State, killing six persons and injuring twelve others across Bassa and Mangu local government areas. The coordinated violence struck the Ancha community in Bassa LGA and the Gyenbwas Rinji community in Langai District of Mangu LGA, sparking renewed fears over escalating insecurity in the region.

Sources revealed that in Ancha, herders who were grazing cattle around 3 a.m. went missing, only for their corpses to be discovered later in the area. Garba Abdullahi, State Chairman of the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN), confirmed the deaths and claimed that the victims were dragged from the grazing field and murdered. He said the matter has been reported to the police and Operation Safe Haven.

In Gyenbwas Rinji, two individuals, including a woman, were killed and numerous houses burned as gunmen stormed the community in large numbers. The invaders reportedly fired shots indiscriminately, leading to casualties and panic. Mr. Mangs Fwangkat Isa, acting Chairman of the Mwaghavul Youth Development in Mangu Halle District, linked the attack to escalating tensions following a Sunday evening ambush by suspected herders that killed one and injured two local residents.

According to Isa, the military’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) attempted to de-escalate the brewing tension on Monday, but the situation worsened when suspected herders returned and opened fire. In the ensuing chaos, youths armed with sticks and cutlasses tried to defend their community. Isa confirmed that two people were killed and ten others wounded, all of whom are receiving treatment at Halle and Mangu general hospitals.

These latest incidents follow the killing of four individuals in the Uwok-Ishe community of Bassa just a day earlier, highlighting the continued volatility and urgent need for strengthened security across Plateau’s conflict-prone areas.