Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The bodies were still being counted when the first shots rang out again. On Sunday morning, September 20, 2026, residents of Dorowa Babuje in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State were preparing for church when gunmen struck, killing a pastor and his relatives as they walked to worship. The attack was not an isolated tragedy. It was the latest chapter in a weekend of bloodshed that left at least nine people dead across Plateau State, sending women and children fleeing from their homes as gunfire echoed through the hills.
The first attack occurred on Saturday night, September 19, when five passengers travelling to Gana-Ropp in Barkin Ladi for work were ambushed. The victims were labourers, ordinary men and women trying to earn a living in a region where economic opportunities are scarce and the roads are dangerous. Ukasha Garaba, the Pyem Youth Leader in Gana-Ropp, confirmed that five bodies had been recovered. "They were passengers who were travelling as labourers," he said. Bulus Dabit, National President of the Mwaghavul Development Association, condemned the killings and called on security agencies to track down the perpetrators, warning that the persistent attacks were spreading fear among residents who had already endured years of violence.
On Sunday morning, the violence continued. A pastor and his relatives were killed at Dorowa Babuje while on their way to church. The attack heightened tension in the community, particularly around Kantoma and the surrounding areas, where residents reported continued gunshots. Lawrence Shong, a community member, said women and children were being evacuated as gunfire persisted into the afternoon. "As I speak to you, at about 12:15 p.m. on Sunday, we are still hearing sounds of gunshots," he said. "Women and children are currently being evacuated because of the ongoing attack." The sounds of gunfire forced families to abandon their homes and seek refuge elsewhere, leaving behind the only places they had ever known.
In separate incidents, a woman was killed at Baten Wereng in Riyom Local Government Area on Saturday night, while another person was killed at Ratyidi in Fan District. Several cattle were also reportedly killed or stolen around Dorowa Maranba and the Kantoma axis, according to Gambo Abubakar, Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in Barkin Ladi. The theft and killing of livestock added another layer to the crisis, threatening the livelihoods of pastoralist families who depend on their herds for survival.
The attacks drew swift condemnation from community organisations. Rwang Tengwong, spokesman of the Berom Youth Moulders, described the killings as "worrisome and unacceptable" and called for urgent security intervention. "We condemn these attacks in the strongest terms and call on the security agencies to urgently strengthen their presence in the affected communities," he said. "The killing of innocent people must stop." Tengwong confirmed that military personnel had been deployed to the area, but stressed that what residents needed was sustained security deployment, not temporary reinforcements that withdraw after a few days, leaving communities vulnerable to the next attack.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang, speaking on Sunday at the 2026 Plateau Annual Convention of the General Council of the Assemblies of God Nigeria, North East Zone, held in Jos South, reaffirmed his administration's commitment to protecting lives and property. "I cannot abandon my responsibility of securing the people of Plateau State," he said. "We will protect our people with all that we have, within the ambit of the law. Plateau State will not be defeated by violence or the gun." The governor's words were resolute, but they rang hollow for communities that have heard similar promises before, only to bury their dead again and again.
The weekend killings came as troops of Operation Enduring Peace recorded successes elsewhere in the state. In separate operations conducted on Saturday, troops arrested 11 suspected kidnappers and rescued two victims in Jos North Local Government Area. The operations, carried out by troops of Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, deployed at Lamingo, followed intelligence on the activities of suspected kidnappers operating around Rayfield. Troops raided suspected criminal hideouts at Shere, Gwafan and Maza Hills, leading to the arrests. Two victims abducted from Gwafan on September 18 positively identified three of the arrested suspects as members of the syndicate responsible for their abduction. In Bassa Local Government Area, troops recovered a locally fabricated rifle and arrested a suspect, while in Mangu, another suspect was arrested after attempting to conceal a weapon on sighting troops.
But the arrests and recoveries, however welcome, did nothing to prevent the killings in Barkin Ladi and Riyom. The security architecture in Plateau State remains reactive, responding to attacks after the blood has already been spilled. Communities are left to bury their dead, evacuate their women and children, and wait for the next round of violence. The cycle is relentless, and the people of Plateau are trapped in it.
Plateau State has been a flashpoint for violence for years. The conflicts have been driven by a complex mix of farmer-herder tensions, communal rivalries, land disputes and the activities of armed groups that exploit the region's difficult terrain and weak security presence. The attacks on Saturday and Sunday were not the first, and unless the government changes its approach, they will not be the last. The killing of a pastor on his way to church, the ambush of labourers travelling to work, the theft of cattle from pastoralists, and the displacement of women and children are all symptoms of a deeper failure. The security forces can arrest suspects and recover weapons, but they cannot arrest the conditions that breed violence. That requires political will, community engagement, economic development and a commitment to justice that has so far been absent.
For the families of the nine people killed over the weekend, the pain is personal and irreparable. They lost fathers, mothers, children and pastors. For the residents of Dorowa Babuje, Gana-Ropp, Baten Wereng and Ratyidi, the fear is constant. They do not know when the next attack will come or whether they will be the next victims. As one community leader put it, the people of Plateau State deserve to live without fear. They deserve to go to church, to farm, to travel, and to raise their families without the threat of violence hanging over their heads. Until that day comes, the bloodshed will continue, and the promises of protection will remain just that: promises.
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