Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Suspected Fulani militias ambushed a group of young tin miners in the Sabon Gari (Yilpo) community of Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State, on Thursday, 30 April 2026, killing one youth, injuring two, and abducting another. The attack, which occurred around 3:55 p.m. as the miners were returning to their village after work, further highlights the fragile security in a region that has for years been the epicentre of deadly farmer-herder conflicts.
According to Nandom Ishaku, a youth leader in the community who confirmed the attack to Daily Post, the miners were ambushed along the Aloghom-Yilpo-Mwansat college axis. “It was another sad moment for the peaceful and loving people of Sabon Gari (Yilpo) community,” Ishaku said. The deceased miner was identified simply as Kyenshak. The two injured youths sustained gunshot wounds, and the whereabouts of the abducted victim remain unknown. “We don’t know whether he is alive or has been killed by the militia,” Ishaku lamented.
The attack occurred just days after the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN), a Fulani socio-cultural group, issued a statement accusing youths in the neighbouring Aloghom area of attacking herders and rustling cattle. Community leaders had viewed the statement as a precursor to an imminent assault. “We saw that accusation as a clear warning sign of what was about to happen,” Ishaku said, explaining that such inflammatory claims have often preceded similar attacks. He described it as a familiar pattern used to justify aggression. Despite the community promptly alerting security agencies after the statement was released, urging them to increase patrols and prevent bloodshed, officials reportedly failed to take the warnings seriously. “We lost a hardworking and promising young man because our cries for help were ignored,” Ishaku said.
The ambush is the latest in a long list of security challenges facing Plateau State. On 29 March 2026, gunmen attacked the Angwan Rukuba community in Jos North, killing at least 28 people. In early April, three persons were killed in a fresh attack in Nyamgo Gyel, Jos South, just hours after President Bola Tinubu had visited the state to console victims of the Palm Sunday massacre. The recurring violence has led to the displacement of hundreds of residents, forced the closure of schools, and the abandonment of farms. The state government has previously imposed curfews and deployed security forces, but the attacks persist.
Residents of Sabon Gari (Yilpo) are now calling on the Plateau State Government and security forces to step up protection for vulnerable farming and mining communities in Mangu LGA. Many fear further attacks if urgent measures are not put in place. According to Afripost, many residents are now living in fear, with some already fleeing the community for safer areas. The Plateau State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the Thursday ambush as investigations are expected to commence.
The injured victims are currently receiving treatment, while the fate of the kidnapped youth remains unknown. The community is in mourning, and the cycle of violence in Plateau State shows no signs of abating.
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