Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Seven people have been killed and more than 20 hectares of farmland destroyed in separate attacks across Plateau State within 48 hours, according to the Berom Youth Moulders Association, which has accused security agencies of failing to protect communities despite a curfew imposed to stem the violence. The association disclosed the killings in a statement on Saturday, September 26, 2026, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong.
Among the dead are two miners, identified as 25-year-old Phillip Luka and 34-year-old Sunday John, who were killed on September 23 at a mining site in Kworos Gangare, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area. The same day, farmlands in Jol, Riyom; Exland, Gashish; Rapwomol and Dorowa Babuje were destroyed, threatening the livelihoods and food security of affected families. On September 24, two people were killed at Nghar, Exland, in Gashish District, while three others were killed at Gassa, Barkin Ladi. The three victims at Gassa were identified as Ishaya Pam Dung, 47, a married father of two and community youth leader; Barnabas Gyang Jack, 23, married with one child; and 26-year-old Manasseh Luka Mushwer.
The death toll stands at seven: two miners at Kworos Gangare, two at Nghar, and three at Gassa. The BYM expressed alarm that the attacks occurred despite the 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew imposed in Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas. "This raises serious questions about the effectiveness of existing security measures," the association said, demanding immediate and decisive action from security agencies. The group urged authorities to move beyond responding to attacks after they occur, calling for credible intelligence operations to identify and dismantle criminal hideouts and operational enclaves. It specifically mentioned areas around Fass, Mahanga, the Fulani settlement at Bangai, Lugere and other locations it said had been identified through intelligence.
The BYM also called on the government to treat the destruction of farmlands as a serious threat to food security, urging an urgent assessment of the affected farms and meaningful support for families who have lost crops and sources of income. It further called on the National Assembly, National Human Rights Commission, humanitarian agencies and international organisations to monitor the security and humanitarian situation in Plateau State and support efforts to protect civilians, restore livelihoods and ensure accountability.
The killings are the latest in a sustained wave of violence that has devastated Plateau State communities. On September 14, gunmen stormed Ikn'gwakap community in Mushere Chiefdom, Bokkos LGA, shooting indiscriminately and setting houses ablaze, killing six people including women and children. On September 23, the same day the two miners were killed, gunmen abducted Hon. Denty Laven, a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly representing Pankshin South Constituency, from his home in Dong area of Jos North LGA. The Mushere Youth Movement accused security agencies of failing to protect vulnerable communities despite repeated attacks, warning that continued silence would embolden armed groups to carry out more deadly assaults.
The broader context is grim. Dr. Stanley Kavwam, Deputy Publicity Secretary of the Middle Belt Forum, revealed that over 500 people had been killed and buried in Mangu LGA in the last two years alone, with 164 local communities displaced and taken over by terrorists. Kavwam described the killings in the Middle Belt as a jihadist agenda fueled by indoctrination of young people in the North, and criticised the Nigerian military for what he called a disproportionate response, swiftly deploying to crush agitations in the South East while seemingly losing its bearings when addressing mass killings in the Middle Belt.
The BYM's statement was blunt in its assessment of the security situation. "Plateau communities have endured enough bloodshed," the association said. "Citizens have a right to live in their homes, travel freely, farm their lands, conduct legitimate businesses and bury their loved ones without fear". It added that "every life lost leaves a family devastated" while every farm destroyed pushes affected families closer to hunger and poverty. It therefore demanded urgent, sustained and coordinated action to secure communities, dismantle criminal networks, protect civilians and restore public confidence across Plateau State.
The reported casualties and destruction cited in the BYM statement had not been independently confirmed by security authorities at the time of reporting. The Plateau State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the killings as of Saturday evening. The military has also not commented on the attacks or the association's allegations of security failure.
For the families of the seven victims, the grief is compounded by the circumstances of their deaths. Phillip Luka was 25. Sunday John was 34. Ishaya Pam Dung was 47 and leaves behind a wife and two children. Barnabas Gyang Jack was 23 and leaves behind a wife and one child. Manasseh Luka Mushwer was 26. They were miners, farmers, community members, youth leaders, husbands and fathers. They were killed on their farms, at their mining sites, in their communities. The curfew was in place. The security agencies were present. The attacks happened anyway.
The BYM's demand for action is not new. It has been made before, after previous attacks, after previous funerals, after previous promises. What is new is the growing sense of abandonment among Plateau communities who have buried too many loved ones and seen too little accountability. As the association put it, the bloodshed must end. The question is whether anyone in authority is listening.
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