Gunmen Kill Pastor, Wife, Children in Fresh Plateau Night Attack

Gunmen Kill Pastor, Wife, Children in Fresh Plateau Night Attack

Gunmen on Sunday night attacked Gako Village in Plateau State, killing a pastor and three members of his family in what residents describe as a renewed wave of violent attacks in the area.

The victims were identified as Rev. Ayuba Choji, his wife Chundung Ayuba, and their two children, Cyril and Endurance. Community sources said the attackers stormed the village around 11 p.m., shooting sporadically as residents fled into nearby bushes for safety.

Residents said the attack caused widespread panic, with families abandoning their homes in the darkness. One resident, Martha Dalyop, said the community has been living in constant fear due to repeated night raids, making it difficult for people to sleep or carry out farming activities.

The latest incident comes amid escalating insecurity in parts of Plateau’s rural communities, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted villages in recent months. Local accounts suggest attackers often strike at night, moving through forest routes linking communities in Riyom and neighbouring areas.

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Confirming the attack, the publicity secretary of the Berom Youths Moulder Association, Rwang Tengwong, said the pattern of violence has become more coordinated and increasingly destructive. According to him, attackers now operate in groups with specific roles—some targeting residents, others destroying farmland, while additional groups block escape routes and monitor movement.

He also disclosed that within the past 48 hours, large areas of farmland in Kassa, located in Barkin Ladi, were destroyed, including crops such as maize, pepper, and cabbage, worsening food insecurity and economic hardship for farming families.

Tengwong said the attacks are now affecting not only lives but also livelihoods, as farmland destruction continues to undermine agricultural productivity in the region.

The incident has heightened tension across Riyom and neighbouring Barkin Ladi communities, with residents calling for urgent intervention from security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and military operatives deployed to the state.

Community leaders are urging government authorities to strengthen security presence, improve rapid response mechanisms, and address what they describe as a worsening cycle of violence threatening rural survival in Plateau State.

Authorities are yet to release an official statement on the latest killings, but security patrols have reportedly been intensified in affected communities as investigations continue.

Gunmen Kill Pastor, Wife, Children in Fresh Plateau Night Attack