Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
For Reverend Ayuba Choji, a man of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), the night of Sunday, April 26, 2026, was supposed to be like any other in the quiet settlement of Gako village, nestled in the Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. But at about 11 p.m., the silence of the rural community was shattered by the sound of sporadic gunfire. By the time the echoes faded, the pastor, his wife Chundung, and their two children, Cyril and Endurance, were dead. In a matter of minutes, violence had wiped out an entire household, leaving nothing but grief and unanswered questions.
According to multiple reports from local and national media, including Vanguard and Daily Post, the attackers stormed Gako village late on Sunday night, opening fire indiscriminately and throwing the community into a state of panic. Residents who spoke to journalists described scenes of chaos as families scrambled for safety, some fleeing into the surrounding bushes while others barricaded themselves in their homes. The attackers appeared to operate without hindrance, moving through the village and selecting their targets with chilling precision.
A community member, Martha Dalyop, told reporters that the gunmen invaded the area late at night, shooting sporadically and causing residents to flee for safety. She lamented that the recurring attacks had continued to leave communities in fear, with many unable to sleep in their homes or tend to their farms. Her words echoed a grim reality that has become all too familiar across Plateau State, where the land, fertility has become a curse, attracting waves of armed groups who operate with impunity.
As news of the killing spread, the publicity secretary of the Berom Youths Moulder Association, Rwang Tengwong, confirmed the incident and offered a disturbing analysis of the attackers' evolving tactics. According to him, the assailants now operate in coordinated groups, with some members launching direct attacks on residents while others destroy farmlands, and still others mount surveillance or block roads to prevent escape or intervention. This coordinated approach, he said, is designed to maximize casualties and minimize the chances of resistance, a sign that the violence is not merely opportunistic but carefully planned.
Tengwong further disclosed that large portions of farmland, including maize, cabbage and hot pepper fields, had been destroyed in Kassa, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, within the past 48 hours. The destruction of crops is particularly devastating because it occurs just as farmers were preparing for harvest. By obliterating the food source, the attackers not only kill the people but also strangle the livelihoods of those who survive.
The latest incident has heightened tension across Riyom and neighbouring Barkin Ladi communities, with residents calling on security agencies and government authorities to intensify efforts to halt the killings and the destruction of livelihoods in Plateau State, Tengwong added. His plea is one that has been made countless times over the years, yet the violence persists.
This attack is not an isolated event. Over the past decade, Plateau State has become synonymous with cycles of ethno-religious violence, farmer-herder conflicts, and brutal reprisals by armed militias. What sets the Gako village massacre apart is not just the nature of the victims, a pastor and his family but the timing. The attack came just hours after a meeting of community leaders and security officials had called for peace and cooperation. The killers, however, were not listening.
The victims, Rev. Ayuba Choji, his wife Chundung, and their children Cyril and Endurance, have been buried in a quiet ceremony attended by mourning relatives and neighbours. Their deaths have once again exposed the inability of the state to protect its most vulnerable citizens. As the sun sets on Gako village, the only sound is the wind sweeping through the empty compound where a family once lived, loved, and prayed. And the only question that remains is how many more must die before the government finally acts.
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