Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A 40-year-old female farmer, Mrs Hudung Luka, was killed and another woman injured when suspected armed bandits attacked farmers working on their farmland in Rinyan village, Tahoss community, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State on Saturday, 4 July 2026. The attack, which occurred at approximately 3:50 p.m., has sent fresh waves of fear through a community already traumatised by years of violence, as troops from Sector 6 of Operation Enduring Peace responded swiftly and arrested a suspect in connection with the incident. According to local sources, the assailants stormed the farm and opened fire on the women, who were working on their farmland at the time of the assault. The deceased, identified as Mrs Hudung Luka, died at the scene from gunshot wounds inflicted by the attackers. The other victim, Mrs Ladi Istifanus, 50, sustained gunshot injuries and was rushed to a medical facility for treatment.
A community member, Bulus Rop, confirmed the incident, describing it as part of the continuing wave of violence targeting farming communities in Riyom Local Government Area. Rop stated that the attackers stormed the farm and opened fire on the women before fleeing the scene, leaving behind a trail of devastation. He called on security agencies to intensify efforts to protect rural residents and bring the perpetrators to justice. The attack occurred on a Saturday afternoon when many farmers, including women, were tending to their crops, highlighting the vulnerability of rural communities in the face of persistent insecurity. The timing of the assault, during daylight hours, has further heightened anxiety among residents who once believed they were safe from attacks while working on their farms during the day.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, also confirmed the attack and condemned it as another senseless killing of innocent civilians. Tengwong urged security agencies to swiftly track down those responsible and ensure they are prosecuted. He further called on both the Plateau State and Federal Governments to strengthen security in vulnerable communities across the state. The BYM has been at the forefront of advocacy for peace and security in Plateau State, and Tengwong's condemnation reflects the growing frustration among community leaders over the inability of authorities to halt the cycle of violence that has claimed countless lives and displaced thousands across the region.
Security sources confirmed that troops of Sector 6 of Operation Enduring Peace responded at about 4:00 p.m. on Saturday after receiving reports of an attack by suspected armed Fulani militia on the community. On arrival at the scene, the troops found one person dead, while another victim had sustained gunshot wounds. The injured victim was evacuated to the General Hospital in Riyom for medical treatment. The troops immediately pursued the fleeing assailants but did not establish contact with them. However, one suspect was arrested during the operation and is currently in custody undergoing interrogation as investigations continue. The military has maintained intensified operations across Plateau to curb attacks and apprehend those responsible for violent crimes in the state.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, SP Alfred Alabo, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. The silence from the police command has only deepened the sense of abandonment felt by communities that have lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods, and now fear that without urgent intervention, more blood will be spilled on the farms that were once their source of life. The attack on Rinyan village is the latest in a series of violent incidents that have plagued Plateau State's farming communities, where farmer-herder conflicts and banditry have created a climate of fear and uncertainty. In recent months, several communities in Riyom Local Government Area have come under attack, with gunmen killing farmers, destroying farmlands, and displacing residents. The persistence of these attacks underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive and sustained security response to protect rural communities and restore peace to the region.
As the family of Mrs Hudung Luka mourns their devastating loss and Mrs Ladi Istifanus fights for her recovery, the people of Rinyan village and surrounding communities are left to wonder when the cycle of violence that has claimed so many lives and disrupted so many livelihoods across Plateau State will finally end. The arrest of a suspect offers a glimmer of hope that justice may be served, but for the grieving community, the pain of losing a mother, wife, and farmer to senseless violence is a wound that will take a long time to heal. The people of Tahoss community, like countless others across Plateau State, continue to live in the shadow of violence, hoping and praying that the security forces will finally bring an end to the bloodshed that has turned their ancestral lands into a killing field.
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