Many people are feared dead and several others injured after gunmen attacked mourners during a mass burial in the Nding Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area in Plateau State. The incident occurred on Wednesday, May 5, as villagers gathered to bury seven individuals killed in a previous attack on the community.
Eyewitness Accounts
According to eyewitnesses, the assailants had been observing the ceremony from surrounding hills before descending on the community and opening fire on the mourners as they were digging graves. Journalist Masara Kim reported that about five communities were simultaneously under attack. He stated that the mourners had barely dug a shallow grave when the attackers struck, forcing them to hastily bury the bodies and flee for safety.
Kim said, "There is an ongoing, massive attack on communities south of Jos. More than five communities are under simultaneous assault. While we were at the burial site, the attackers emerged from the hills and began shooting." He added that a man was shot dead in his presence, and local defenders armed with hunting guns were overwhelmed by the attackers.
Official Response
Rwang Tengwong, publicity secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, described the situation as "terrible" and confirmed that efforts were underway to rescue trapped persons. The Plateau State Police Command confirmed the attack, stating that five people—four females and a nine-year-old boy—were killed in Barkin Ladi LGA. Three other female victims sustained injuries and are receiving treatment at the General Hospital.
Police spokesperson Alfred Alabo said the corpses have been deposited at the hospital mortuary.
Rising Insecurity in Plateau
Such attacks are common in Plateau State, which borders Kaduna State, where bandits and terrorists frequently carry out kidnappings and killings. Telephone service is patchy in rural areas, making it difficult for villagers to seek immediate help from security forces already stretched by combating Boko Haram and ISWAP in the northeast.
In a related incident, gunmen killed Reverend Ayuba Choji and three family members in Gako village, Riyom LGA. The victims included his wife, Chundung Ayuba, and their two children, Cyril and Endurance Ayuba.
