Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A grieving man has recounted the harrowing moment gunmen stormed a primary health centre in Plateau State and killed his pregnant sister, Larai Danjuma, while she was in labour and preparing to deliver her baby. Daniel Nanle, a resident of Kawel village in the Mushere Chiefdom of Bokkos Local Government Area, narrated the tragic incident to the Plateau State Deputy Governor, Ngo Josephine Piyo, during her condolence visit to the community on Thursday, June 25, 2026.
The attack occurred on Sunday, June 21, 2026, when suspected gunmen invaded the community while residents were asleep, unleashing mayhem that claimed at least 22 lives, including health workers, security personnel, and patients receiving treatment at the health facility . The attackers, who reportedly wore military camouflage and arrived on three motorcycles, struck the village around 2 a.m., catching residents off guard as they had believed the community had been peaceful since the last attack in February .
Nanle, who lost his sister, her husband, and their son in the attack, described the devastating sequence of events to the deputy governor. He said his younger sister, Larai Danjuma, had gone into labour that night and was rushed to the community's Primary Health Centre, where she was taken into the labour room in preparation for delivery . "My immediate younger sister, Larai Danjuma, was married to Mr. Danjuma Damial. She was taken to the hospital because she was due for delivery. Unfortunately, the attackers came and killed her in the labour room," Nanle said .
In a heartbreaking detail, Nanle also revealed that the attackers killed his sister's husband, Danjuma Damial, and their son, Plangnan Danjuma, who were at the hospital at the time . Their mother, who had accompanied the pregnant woman to the facility, miraculously survived the attack . "The joy of the family was cut short when the terrorists invaded the facility and killed her, alongside other patients and health workers," Nanle told the deputy governor .
A relative of one of the deceased, speaking to FIJ, provided further chilling details, stating that the pregnant woman had been taken to the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) clinic, where medical personnel were not initially present. "When the pregnant woman was taken to the hospital, they didn't meet the medical personnel there, so they went to bring him. While they were attending to her, the attackers arrived. They killed the medical personnel, shot the pregnant woman, and killed everyone around her. Everybody who was there was killed," the relative said .
The attackers, who spoke Fulfulde and shouted "Allah Akbar" as they shot at residents, killed the pregnant woman on the delivery bed along with everyone attending to her . The relative also expressed frustration over the delayed response of security agencies, stating that villagers called the Nigerian Army around 2 a.m. when the attack started, but they did not arrive until dawn. "When they arrived, they seemed more interested in moving the bodies to a mortuary," she said . The community resisted the removal of bodies, fearing it might be an attempt to conceal the scale of the killings .
Speaking during the condolence visit, Deputy Governor Ngo Josephine Piyo described the attack as senseless, tragic, and unacceptable, declaring that those responsible must be arrested and prosecuted . "This is very unfortunate and deeply painful. Innocent people were killed without provocation or any disagreement. We want to assure the people that the perpetrators must be brought to book and they will face justice," she said . She urged residents to remain calm and support security agencies as efforts were being intensified to restore peace .
The attack occurred barely five days after the District Head of Gwande, Saf Samuel Alaket, was killed in an ambush along the Sha District axis bordering the Daffo community while returning from a traditional council meeting in Bokkos . In response, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, deployed the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 4 Headquarters, Makurdi, Dankombo Morris, alongside a tactical team, to Plateau State, and approved additional police personnel and operational assets to strengthen security in the affected communities .
Nanle appealed to the government at all levels and security agencies to take urgent action to prevent further occurrences of such attacks. "I am appealing to the state government, the federal government, and security agencies to intervene," he said . His grief-stricken plea echoes the anguish of a community that has endured repeated violence, with residents now living in constant fear of the next attack. For the families of the victims, the pain is immeasurable—a pregnant woman, her husband, and their son, all gone in a single night of terror.
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