More than 40 Killed in 10 Days
By Masara Kim
JOS, Plateau State – At least ten people, including a police superintendent, were killed in attacks on Monday and Tuesday as armed attackers continued a wave of violence in communities 30 to 50 miles south of Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Several others were injured as shootings were reported in multiple villages, according to local leaders. As of press time, gunfire was still ongoing in some locations despite advance warnings of escalating attacks.
Who Attacked Villages at Night?
Leaders of the Mwaghavul tribe in Plateau identified the marauding gunmen as Fulani criminals.
Tribal leaders in Mangu criticized the government’s response and called for an urgent review of security strategy.
In a statement, Kyesmang Jonathan Yusuf, President of the Mwaghavul Youth Movement, said three of the victims in Mangu were civilian guards killed just as they arrived at their duty post for a routine night watch.
“The Mwaghavul Youth Movement is deeply disturbed that this deadly attack occurred during the period of the newly imposed 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew, a measure introduced by the Plateau State Government with the stated objective of protecting lives and enabling security agencies to stabilise affected communities,” Yusuf said.
“To the Mwaghavul Youth Movement, this sad development raises a fundamental question: That if law-abiding citizens are confined to their homes from 6:00 p.m., while armed Fulani criminals continue to move, attack and kill with impunity during the same period, who is the curfew ultimately protecting?”
He added: “Communities that have historically relied on organised vigilance to protect their homes, farms and families are now being restricted from movement, while the perpetrators of violence appear not to be deterred by the restriction.”
The group called on the Plateau State Government and security agencies to immediately review the curfew arrangement in Mangu, particularly its implications for vulnerable communities that remain exposed to armed attacks after dusk.
Timeline of Attacks
The latest killings bring the death toll from related incidents in Plateau State to more than 40 in the past 10 days, including a pastor killed in an ambush on his way to church on Sunday.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Monday, Sept. 21, imposed a 12-hour curfew from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. “to maintain public order and curb emerging security threats in the region.” The situation, however, escalated within hours of the declaration.
According to information obtained by TruthNigeria, the latest attacks began on Monday, September 21, in Rakwok village in the Ropp District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area (similar to a U.S. county). Conflict reporter Zagazola Makama reported that “Fulani bandits” killed a man in Rakwok village and wounded two passengers of a commercial vehicle Monday evening. (The so-called bandits were not observed to steal any property in the attack. )
At least two people were killed in separate assaults. One woman was killed in an ambush around 6 p.m. Minutes after sunset on Monday, Sept. 21, TruthNigeria issued a terror alert warning that armed men were massing in hills outside the village. The alert was shared with Governor Mutfwang via his personal line, which he acknowledged. The Governor assured that the situation was under control.
Despite the assurance, a civilian watchman was killed minutes after 8 p.m. while standing guard outside his home. Two hours later, another attack about 40 miles away in Bokkos Local Government Area killed two residents of Kangyer village in the Mushere District.
TruthNigeria posted breaking news of attacks on Saturday in Jos South, Barkin Ladi, Mangu, Bokkos and Riyom counties on Monday, Sept. 21.
The violence resumed at daybreak on Tuesday, September 22, as residents were preparing to bury their dead.
Solomon Dalyop, a Berom youth leader and partner of TruthNigeria, was trapped in Rakwok and narrowly escaped death.
“As you can see we are here at Rakwok where a young man was killed last night. And shortly after the burial, the terrorists just came back, almost encircling the community. As you can hear there are gunshots in my background,” Dalyop said in a selfie video from the village.
In a telephone interview from the scene, Dalyop said the shootings followed an ambush on their convoy that killed one civilian and left five others injured, including a one-year-old child.
Senior Officer Killed Near Checkpoint
While efforts were underway to rescue Dalyop, a police officer deployed to respond to the situation was killed in a separate ambush just meters away.
“I saw the hand of God. That could have been me,” Dalyop said. “I was supposed to be in that vehicle when he was ambushed and killed. He had spent the whole day with us pushing back the attackers and was going back to the city to run a quick errand and return to pick me, but somehow he left before I knew it.”
A police source who spoke on condition of anonymity told TruthNigeria that the officer, a Chief Superintendent of Police, was ambushed and killed near two military checkpoints close to Barkin Ladi town.
His killing was followed by a fresh wave of violence that left four residents dead in Kyikyau and Aloghom villages in Mangu Local Government Area.
Masara Kim is an award winning conflict reporter in Jos Nigeria and a senior editor at TruthNigeria.
