Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The attack on Monday, August 17, 2026, that claimed at least 23 lives in Bin‑Per community, Mangu Local Government Area, has not only deepened the grief of Plateau State but has also put a spotlight on the long-running trauma of families like that of Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo. The respected cleric, who has been a consistent voice against the violence ravaging the region, is no stranger to the cost of speaking out. His own family has been repeatedly targeted, and the latest massacre in Mangu is a painful reminder that the cycle of violence shows no signs of slowing.
For Rev. Dachomo, the attack on Bin‑Per is part of a pattern of violence that has haunted his community and his family for years. The cleric, who is the Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, has been outspoken in his condemnation of what he describes as the systematic targeting of Christian communities in the Middle Belt. In July, nine members of his extended family, including a two-month-old baby, were killed in an attack on Kum community in Riyom Local Government Area, a tragedy that forced the cleric to bury his loved ones while fearing for his own life. Days after those burials, he received a written death threat from the same armed group, warning that he would be their next target.
The Bin‑Per massacre, which occurred between late Monday and early Tuesday, saw armed gunmen storm the community in Kombun District of Mangu LGA, moving from house to house and attacking residents as they slept. Survivors described the scene as harrowing. One resident, Mathew Joseph, told international media that he managed to escape after seeing armed men approaching his house. The attack resulted in the burning of 38 houses and the destruction of farmlands, stored grains and other valuables, according to Matthew Sylvester Kwarpo, a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly representing Mangu South Constituency.
The victims of the attack were given a mass burial on Tuesday, August 18, as women and youths of the community staged a peaceful protest, carrying leaves above their heads in a traditional sign of mourning. The Mwaghavul Youth Movement, a local advocacy group, has accused authorities of failing to protect vulnerable communities, describing the repeated killings in Mangu as a failure of the existing security architecture. The group warned that the attack was no longer merely about loss of lives but was threatening the livelihoods and future of the entire community.
Rev. Dachomo's experience reflects the broader reality of Plateau State, where farmer-herder conflicts, communal tensions and attacks by armed groups have left thousands dead and many more displaced despite repeated security interventions. The cleric's own testimony—that his grandmother and uncle had previously been killed, and that he had received a written death threat—paints a picture of a region where speaking out against violence can come at the highest possible cost. His story is not just about one family; it is about a community that has been repeatedly abandoned by the state and forced to bear the weight of insecurity on its own.
The Plateau State Police Command has arrested a suspect believed to be the mastermind of the Mangu attack, but residents and community leaders have demanded more decisive action. The Mwaghavul Youth Movement has called for a transparent investigation into the attack and the circumstances surrounding the security response, stressing that young people should not have to permanently stand guard over their communities because the government has failed to provide adequate protection.
For Rev. Dachomo, the Bin‑Per attack is another chapter in a long struggle for justice and peace. His family's repeated targeting underscores the dangers faced by those who speak out against the violence in Plateau State, and his story is a testament to the courage of those who refuse to be silenced. As his community continues to mourn the loss of 23 lives, the voice of Rev. Dachomo remains a powerful reminder that the fight for justice in Plateau State is far from over. The question that now hangs over Mangu is whether the authorities will finally take the kind of decisive action that has been demanded for years, or whether the cycle of violence will continue to claim the lives of ordinary people and the families of those who dare to speak out.
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