By Masara Kim
JOS, Nigeria — Scores of civilians are feared dead following an evening attack, Friday on a busy market about 52 miles south of Jos, the Plateau State capital in central Nigeria.
At least seven people were hit by automatic gunfire, with local sources reporting at least three deaths. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The incident occurred at the weekly Friday vegetable market in Mangu town, headquarters of Mangu Local Government Area and home county of Governor Caleb Mutfwang. Witnesses told TruthNigeria that armed men launched a surprise assault at about 8:30 p.m. local time as traders and buyers were preparing to close.
Photos shared by locals from the scene suggest indiscriminate targeting, with both male and female victims sustaining gunshot wounds to the abdomen, legs and knees.
The market sits at the center of more than 50 villages that have been sacked in recent attacks, according to local leaders, who identified the assailants as terrorists identifying as Fulani.
In recent years, the violence has taken a heavy toll on Christian residents in the area. More than 750 have been killed in Mangu alone since 2023, according to Friday Derwam, spokesman for the Mangu Development Association.
“Victims frequently attacked in their homes or ambushed while working on their farms, with some subjected to severe mutilation,” Derwam wrote in a statement shared with TruthNigeria.
Attack Follows IGP Visit
The shooting comes 48 hours after the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, met with local officials and community leaders in Jos over escalating security threats.
Disu’s visit on Tuesday, September 16 followed an attack that killed nine people on the outskirts of Jos on Sunday, September 14.
On the eve of his visit, on September 15, suspected Fulani gunmen struck two communities 20-30 miles south of Jos, killing three, TruthNigeria learned.
Witnesses said the attackers targeted a civilian watch post in one community, killing two. Less than two miles away, a resident was found dead with his throat slit after locals reported suspicious movements.
“I have gone round and I am talking to people,” Disu said during a meeting at the Plateau State Government House attended by Deputy Governor Josephine Piyo. “And I am so glad that information is coming in, and people are becoming more confident in the police.”
The IGP assured residents of ongoing efforts to track perpetrators and bring them to justice.
But as he spoke in Jos, TruthNigeria recorded rare footage that appeared to show suspected militants gathering in hills about a mile from the site of a mass funeral for two victims of the previous night’s attack in NTV village of Barkin Ladi County.
Despite the presence of police and military personnel, the figures were seen forming up in the hills, joined by reinforcements on motorcycles, before moving in multiple groups. No shots were fired during the burial and their level of armament could not be determined from the footage.
Tribal lawyer Solomon Dalyop said the group emerged from the same direction used by the previous night’s attackers, describing the movement as an attempt to intimidate security forces and traumatized villagers.
“They did it to send a message that this is what they can do and go free,” Dalyop said during the mass burial in NTV village. “The Inspector General of Police just visited Plateau today and these terrorists, we are pretty sure are aware. So they decided to welcome him with the death of two young people that are here and also another one that is in Gassa, all in Barkin Ladi.”
Dalyop said the location was significant due to the proximity of the Jos airport in Barkin Ladi.
Col. Victor Asuquo who was at the scene with a contingent of 15-20 armed soldiers on two pick up trucks, told TruthNigeria the suspected militants had a higher advantage being positioned on a hill, declining to engage.
“Since they are on a higher ground, we need to be careful how we move because no matter the direction we come from, they will see us first,” Asuquo said.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang has described the escalating attacks as “deeply disturbing.” In a statement issued by Information Commissioner Joyce Ramnap, Mutfwang said his administration has maintained close collaboration with security agencies, traditional institutions and community leaders to strengthen peace through dialogue, intelligence sharing and community engagement.
Mutfwang said the protection of lives and property is fundamental to rebuilding trust and “creating an environment where citizens can live, farm, travel, invest and pursue their livelihoods without fear.”
Masara Kim is an award-winning conflict reporter in Jos and a senior editor at TruthNigeria.
