Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Jos, Plateau State — Gunmen have carried out a deadly attack on a mining site in the Kuru community, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing seven people and injuring others in an assault that occurred on Wednesday night, local officials and community representatives confirmed.
The incident was confirmed by Emmanuel Solomon, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Artisanal Mining, who told journalists that the victims were working at the mining site when the assailants struck. He described the attack as “rather unfortunate,” noting that similar deadly assaults have been recorded in the area in recent weeks, underscoring a growing pattern of violence targeting artisanal miners across Jos South.
According to Solomon, he was informed of the attack late Wednesday and was preparing to proceed to the affected community to assess the situation personally. While provisional details indicate that seven people lost their lives, several others were also wounded during the gunfire, though exact numbers of the injured have not yet been released by authorities.
The Kuru community, known for its artisanal mining activities, has faced recurrent insecurity, with attacks on miners and travellers reported in recent months. Local sources point to the increasing vulnerability of mining settlements to armed gangs and criminal elements who often operate with little interference due to the rural terrain and limited security presence.
In related incidents, Solomon recalled other violent encounters earlier in the week in neighbouring mining communities, including ambushes that left other miners dead or wounded prior to this latest attack. These sequential episodes have raised serious concerns among residents and civil society groups about the safety of miners and the need for enhanced protective measures.
Efforts to reach officials of the Plateau State Police Command for an official comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting, with the police spokesman unreachable when contacted. Nonetheless, the confirmation by a senior government aide has lent urgency to calls for a strengthened security response.
The latest attack compounds longstanding insecurity challenges in Plateau State, a region that has endured various forms of violence, including clashes between farmers and herders, communal tensions and criminal attacks on soft targets. Community leaders have called on state and federal authorities to urgently deploy additional security forces, improve intelligence gathering, and implement protective strategies tailored to mining areas and other vulnerable rural zones.
Relatives of the victims and community members are now mourning their losses while anxiously awaiting further information on those injured. Civil society advocates have reiterated that without decisive intervention, artisanal miners and other rural residents will remain at high risk from banditry and criminal violence that continues to destabilise parts of central Nigeria.
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