Gunmen have killed six people and injured eight others in two separate overnight attacks on communities in Plateau State’s Barkin Ladi and Riyom local government areas.
The assaults occurred on Sunday night, plunging rural settlements into panic and forcing many residents to flee their homes.
In the first incident, armed men stormed the Hurum Gashish community in Barkin Ladi around 10 p.m., opening fire on residents and leaving four people dead and five wounded. About an hour later, a similar attack hit the Shonong Bachi community in Riyom, where two more people were killed and three injured.
Rwang Tenglong, National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, confirmed the incidents and described the violence as deeply troubling.
“The attacks have plunged the affected communities into mourning,” Tenglong said, adding that the injured victims were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
He condemned the recurring assaults on rural communities across the state and expressed concern over the persistent insecurity that continues to claim lives and displace families.
Residents reported that the gunmen fired sporadically in both locations, triggering widespread fear. Attempts to reach the Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, for official confirmation were unsuccessful as his phone could not be reached.
Plateau State has witnessed cycles of violence for years, often linked to disputes over land and resources between farming and herding communities, though perpetrators are rarely identified or prosecuted swiftly.
The latest attacks come amid ongoing security operations in the region, including recent arrests of suspected militia members in Riyom by troops of Operation Enduring Peace.
