Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
According to reports, gunmen suspected to be bandits attacked Kogot village in the Vwang (Vom) District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State in the late hours of Monday, May 11, 2026, killing two members of the same family and throwing the community into panic. The assailants struck at about 11:00 p.m., firing sporadically as terrified residents fled into the darkness. The victims were identified as 78‑year‑old Ngo Shettu Badung and 52‑year‑old Danjuma Badung, both relatives of the chairman of the Berom Youth Moulders‑Association (BYM) in the district.
A community member, Jerry Badung, recounted the harrowing moments when the attack began. “People started running when the gunshots began. Residents were terrified because the attack happened late in the night,” he said, adding that the attackers invaded the quiet village and opened fire on the two victims before fleeing into the surrounding bushes. The assault lasted only a few minutes, but its impact has sent waves of fear through the community, which has suffered repeated attacks in recent months.
The BYM confirmed the incident in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong. The association noted that the killings occurred amid heightened tension in the area following the arrest and continued detention of eight local guards from Vwang District by security operatives. The arrested guards, who were part of community vigilante efforts, were taken into custody several weeks ago, and their absence has left a security vacuum that the BYM believes may have emboldened the attackers.
In its statement, the BYM described the attackers as “terrorist gangs operating under the guise of Fulani militancy” and lamented the recurring cycle of violence in the district and across Plateau State. The association called on security agencies to intensify efforts to protect lives and property, urging the government to do more to address the root causes of the persistent insecurity.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Plateau State Police Command, through its spokesman SP Alfred Alabo, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
The attack on Kogot village is the latest in a series of violent incidents that have plagued Plateau State in recent months. Just days earlier, gunmen killed two people and abducted five others, including women and children, in Furyam Takzul community, Kanam Local Government Area. In the first week of May alone, several communities in Barkin Ladi, Bassa and Riyom LGAs came under coordinated attacks that left more than a dozen people dead, including a police officer, and scores injured. Governor Caleb Mutfwang has repeatedly condemned the violence, vowing to end the killings and ensure justice for victims. However, residents of many rural communities remain sceptical, complaining that security responses are often slow and that those responsible for the bloodshed are rarely brought to book.
The BYM has previously passed a vote of no confidence in the leadership of Sector 4 of Operation Enduring Peace, the military task force responsible for peacekeeping in the area, accusing it of security failure. Between April and May 9, 2026, no fewer than 30 people were reportedly killed in separate attacks around Barkin Ladi, while over 70 hectares of farmland were destroyed by attackers. The association has repeatedly called for a change in strategy, urging the deployment of troops to suspected terrorist hideouts rather than static checkpoints.
For the residents of Vwang District, however, Monday night’s attack is a painful reminder that their lives remain on the line. An octogenarian and a man in his prime, snatched away in a single, brutal moment. A family shattered. And a community once again asking the same haunting question: when will the guns finally fall silent?
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