Several people are feared dead and many others injured after gunmen attacked mourners during a mass burial in Nding community, Fan District, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State. The attack occurred on Wednesday afternoon, May 6, 2026, as villagers were burying six victims killed in a previous attack on Tuesday night.
Attack During Burial Ceremony
According to Weng Christopher, a community member, the assailants stormed the area and opened fire on unsuspecting victims. The gunmen had been watching the burial ceremony from the surrounding hills before descending on the mourners as they dug the grave.
Masara Kim, a journalist and eyewitness, reported that about five communities were experiencing simultaneous attacks by the terrorists. He described how the mourners had dug only a few meters before the terrorists struck, forcing them to hurriedly dump the bodies into a shallow grave and flee for their lives.
Eyewitness Account
Kim stated, "So right now, there is an ongoing attack, a massive attack, actually, in communities 20 miles south of Jos. We are told the communities are more than five right now that are experiencing simultaneous attacks." He added that he saw a man fall after being shot by a terrorist who emerged from the hills and started shooting toward the community where the burial was taking place.
"While the mass burial was ongoing, we got information that the terrorists were advancing. The mass grave was just a little below two feet, but they had to abandon digging and just dump the bodies in them. There weren't any official funeral rites; just a brief prayer, and moments later, gunshots rang out. Right in front of me, a man fell—a civilian defender using homemade pipe guns and hunting rifles."
Kim said the entire community was eventually overrun, and they had to abandon their vehicle and run for safety. He could not ascertain the casualty figure due to the tense situation.
Official Confirmation
The publicity secretary of the Berom Youth-Moulders Association (BYM), Rwang Tengwom, confirmed the incident to Sun Nigeria, describing the situation as terrible. Tengwom, appearing panic-stricken, said the BYM president was trapped in the area and they were racing to the scene to rescue him. "I am on a bike now to the place. The situation is quite bad, and we learnt that our president is trapped. We're going there to rescue him by all means," he added.
