Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Women from the Bin-Per community in Ruff, Kombun District of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, took to the streets on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, in a peaceful but agonising protest over the killing of 24 residents by armed gunmen who invaded their homes in a brutal overnight attack. Clutching leaves above their heads in a traditional sign of mourning, the women marched through the community, their voices rising in a collective lament for husbands, children, relatives and neighbours who were slaughtered while they slept. The protest came as the 24 victims were given a mass burial, while several others who sustained injuries remained in hospitals fighting for their lives.
The attack, which occurred on the night of Monday, August 17, 2026, saw heavily armed gunmen wielding rifles and machetes storm the farming community, moving from house to house and killing residents in a coordinated assault. Survivors told AFP that the attackers showed no mercy, targeting women and children in a community that has long been caught in the crossfire of Nigeria's recurring communal violence. One resident, Mathew Joseph, told AFP: "Twenty-four bodies have been recovered, while other injured persons have been taken to hospital." The death toll has left the community in a state of shock, with families still searching for missing relatives.
Tuesday's protest was a visceral expression of grief and fury. The women, holding leaves above their heads, demanded an end to the recurring attacks on their community and the state in general. Their protest was more than a lament; it was a desperate plea for the government to act. "We are tired of burying our loved ones," one protester was heard crying. "When will this killing stop?"
President of the Mwaghavul Youth Movement, Comrade Kyesmang Jonathan, who spoke at the burial mass conducted on behalf of the victims, confirmed that 24 persons had been buried following the attack. He lamented that some of the injured were still receiving medical attention, while the community continued to grapple with the devastating impact of the attack. Jonathan condemned the continued attacks on innocent residents and called on the government and security agencies to take urgent steps to protect vulnerable communities and prevent further loss of lives.
The attack on Bin-Per is the latest chapter in a cycle of violence that has plagued Plateau State for over two decades, driven by conflicts between nomadic Fulani herders and sedentary farming communities over land and resources. Despite repeated government promises and military interventions, the violence has continued unabated, with communities like Bin-Per paying the highest price. The killings in Bin-Per came after two herders in the area were killed last week, followed by a suspected reprisal on the nearby village of Maitimbe in which multiple houses were burned down.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) scribe in Plateau State, Hon. Jude Eli Dakur, also condemned the attack in the strongest terms, describing it as barbaric, senseless and unacceptable. He expressed deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives and the destruction of homes, farmlands and property. "The killing of innocent citizens, particularly people who were asleep in their homes, was a grave assault on the sanctity of human life and should not be allowed to become a recurring feature of life in Plateau State," Dakur said. He called on security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering and surveillance in vulnerable communities across Mangu and other parts of Plateau State, and to establish effective rapid-response mechanisms capable of responding promptly to distress calls.
As the sun set over Bin-Per on Tuesday evening, the mass grave stood as a grim monument to another night of terror. The injured are still in hospital, the grieving families are still in shock, and the killers are still at large. The question on everyone's lips is the same: how many more must die before the government acts decisively? For the women of Bin-Per, the answer cannot come soon enough.
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