No fewer than six persons, including a woman, have been confirmed dead following renewed violence in Bassa and Mangu local government areas of Plateau State.
The attacks, which occurred in Ancha community in Bassa and Gyenbwas Rinji in the Langai district of Mangu, also left at least 12 persons critically injured and several homes razed.
Local sources told PLATFORM TIMES that the first incident unfolded in the early hours of Monday in Ancha, where suspected assailants ambushed a group of herders. The victims, reportedly declared missing around 3 a.m. while grazing cattle, were later found dead.
Chairman of the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN) in Plateau State, Garba Abdullahi, confirmed the killings, alleging that the herders were dragged from a grazing area and executed.
“They were grazing peacefully before being attacked and taken to Ancha, where their corpses were later discovered. We have since reported the incident to the police and the Operation Safe Haven,” Abdullahi said.
In a related incident, two persons, including a woman, were also killed during a separate attack in Gyenbwas Rinji community, where armed assailants reportedly stormed the area at dawn.
A resident, Aliyu Adamu, who lost his brother in the attack, recounted the ordeal: “They came in large numbers and began shooting indiscriminately. My brother and a woman were killed. They also set many houses ablaze before fleeing.”
Tensions remain high in the region, as conflicting narratives emerge from both sides of the communal divide.
Responding to accusations against the Mwaghavul people, the acting Chairman of the Mwaghavul Youth Development (MYM) in Mangu Halle District, Mangs Fwangkat Isa, claimed that the violence was a reprisal.
According to him, trouble started after members of his community were ambushed and killed the previous evening.
“On Monday, the Forward Operating Base (FOB) came to appeal for calm. But while efforts were being made to pacify the angry youths, Fulani men suddenly emerged and opened fire. Our youth retaliated, using sticks and cutlasses. Unfortunately, two people died in the process,” Isa said.
He further alleged that soldiers might have been responsible for the deaths, based on testimonies from the injured, who are now receiving treatment at hospitals in Halle and Mangu.
The latest violence comes barely 24 hours after four other persons were killed and two injured in Uwok-Ishe community of Kakkek District, also in Bassa, while en route to mining sites.
While the Plateau State Police Command is yet to issue an official statement on the incidents, security operatives under Operation Safe Haven are said to be monitoring the affected areas.
Plateau State has witnessed recurring cycles of ethnic and communal violence in recent years, often triggered by disputes over land use, grazing rights, and local political tensions.
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