Plateau Violence: Several Killed as Fresh Attacks Trigger Mass Exodus

Fresh violence in Plateau State has left several people dead in separate attacks across Mangu, Barkin Ladi and Riyom, with renewed gunfire forcing women and children to leave parts of Barkin Ladi for safer locations.

The latest wave of violence began with an attack on a vegetable market in Mangu Local Government Area, where gunmen opened fire on a vehicle leaving the market on Friday night.

The attack, which occurred at about 8 p.m. as traders and buyers were preparing to close for the day, triggered panic and a stampede as people fled in different directions.

Three people — two women and a young man — were reportedly killed, while several others sustained injuries. Those with serious injuries were taken to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for treatment.

However, another report put the death toll from the market attack at five, leaving some uncertainty over the final casualty figure.

The attack came amid heightened security concerns in Mangu, where several communities have experienced deadly attacks in recent weeks.

The situation worsened in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, where residents of Dorowa Bubuje reported hearing sustained gunfire from the direction of Kantoma.

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The gunfire created panic and prompted the evacuation of women and children from vulnerable parts of the community.

Residents reportedly began moving away from areas considered exposed to possible attacks, while security personnel were deployed to the community.

The fresh tension followed another series of deadly attacks reported in Barkin Ladi and neighbouring Riyom between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Five passengers travelling to Gana-Ropp in Barkin Ladi were reportedly attacked on Saturday night. The victims were said to be travelling as labourers, with five bodies later recovered from the area.

Two other people, including a pastor, were reportedly killed while travelling to church at Dorowa Babuje on Sunday morning.

A woman was also reportedly killed at Baten Wereng in Riyom Local Government Area, while another person was killed at Ratyidi in Fan District.

Several cattle were also reportedly killed or stolen around Dorowa Maranba and the Kantoma axis, further increasing tensions in the affected communities.

The latest incidents came against the background of a series of attacks in Plateau in which both farmers and herders have suffered casualties.

Earlier in September, community leaders reported that three herders were killed and about 50 cattle were shot dead during an attack on a grazing area in Aloghom, Mangu LGA.

Another herder and 18 cattle were reportedly killed in a separate incident around Nyerwe in Barkin Ladi.

Security forces have continued operations in the affected areas.

The Nigerian Army previously reported the arrest of three suspects following the killing of 17-year-old Peter Gyang at Kafi-Abu village in Barkin Ladi.

The suspects were arrested during a military operation in an area believed to have been used by the attackers. Their alleged involvement, however, remained subject to investigation.

The Army’s General Officer Commanding, 3 Division, Maj. Gen. Williams Dangana, also visited communities affected by the violence and appealed to residents to remain calm and avoid retaliatory attacks.

Another separate attack was reported around Kassa in Barkin Ladi, where five Fulani men were reportedly killed after their vehicle came under attack while they were travelling towards a cattle market in Jos South.

The victims were identified as Buhari Yusuf, Aminu Ahmad, Nasiru Abdullahi, Gambo Abubakar and Muhammad Abdul Rahman.

A Fulani association alleged that the vehicle was ambushed by people it described as Berom militias and called for an investigation by the Federal Government, Plateau State Government and security agencies.

The association also appealed to members of the Fulani community to remain calm and avoid retaliation.

The allegation concerning the identity of the attackers in the Kassa incident has not been independently established by security authorities.

The separate attacks have highlighted the continuing cycle of communal violence in Plateau State, where longstanding tensions involving land, farming, grazing, communal disputes and reprisals have repeatedly resulted in deaths and displacement.

Community representatives have called for stronger and sustained security deployments, while security agencies have urged residents to provide credible information and avoid taking the law into their own hands.

With residents fleeing some affected areas, the immediate concern remains the protection of civilians and prevention of further attacks or retaliatory violence.

Authorities are expected to investigate the separate incidents, identify those responsible and strengthen security around communities considered vulnerable to further violence in Plateau State.

Plateau Violence: Several Killed as Fresh Attacks Trigger Mass Exodus

Lagos Mechanic Lured With Mercedes Repair Job, Hacked to Death in Bush

A mechanic identified as Samson has allegedly been lured to his death in the Abijo area of Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, after receiving a request to repair a Mercedes-Benz.

The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday, September 15, after Samson, who operated a mechanic workshop around Warike Estate, left his workshop to attend to the vehicle repair request.

According to reports, the mechanic was contacted by people who claimed they needed his services to fix a Mercedes-Benz. He reportedly travelled to the location expecting to carry out a routine repair job.

However, he was allegedly taken into a nearby bush after arriving at the location, where he was reportedly hacked to death.

The circumstances surrounding the incident have raised concerns because Samson was said to have left his regular workplace in response to what appeared to be an ordinary request for his professional services.

The Lagos State Police Command confirmed that the matter had been reported and said an investigation was underway.

Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said Samson’s family initially reported that they could no longer account for his whereabouts.

Following the report, detectives visited his apartment as part of efforts to establish his movements and determine what happened to him.

The police also began efforts to track Samson’s mobile phone, hoping that the location data and other evidence could help investigators reconstruct his movements after he left for the supposed repair job.

A police source said the investigation was aimed at establishing the circumstances surrounding the incident and identifying those responsible.

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The source also indicated that suspected cult members were believed to be connected with the attack.

However, the alleged cult connection and the motive for the killing have not been conclusively established by the police.

An anti-cultism advocacy platform separately alleged that Samson’s death could have been linked to an earlier cult-related killing in the Ibeju-Lekki area.

The platform claimed that a man identified as Ola Sheu, whom it described as a member of the Eiye confraternity, was killed around Adeba Bus Stop in Lakowe, Ibeju-Lekki, on September 9.

It further alleged that Sheu was killed by members of the NBM, also known as Aye, and that Samson was subsequently targeted in what may have been a retaliatory attack.

According to the advocacy platform, a graduation photograph allegedly showing Samson wearing a beret associated with the Aye group was circulated and may have exposed him to people involved in the alleged cult rivalry.

The claim remains an allegation and has not been independently established as the motive for Samson’s disappearance or reported death.

Police investigators are expected to establish whether the Mercedes-Benz repair request was genuine, who contacted Samson, where he was taken after arriving at the location and who was responsible for the alleged attack.

They are also expected to determine whether the incident was connected to the alleged cult dispute or resulted from another motive.

The case has also drawn attention to the security risks faced by mechanics, artisans and other service providers who respond to jobs at unfamiliar locations.

Such workers often travel alone to customers’ homes, workshops, roadside locations or other places to provide services, making it difficult for relatives or colleagues to immediately know where they are when something goes wrong.

For now, no suspect has been publicly identified by the police in connection with the incident.

The investigation remains ongoing as detectives work to establish the full circumstances surrounding Samson’s disappearance and reported killing and determine who was behind the attack.

Further information from the police is expected as the investigation progresses.

Lagos Mechanic Lured With Mercedes Repair Job, Hacked to Death in Bush

Woman Crushed to Death During Motorcycle Overtaking Manoeuvre in Ogun

A woman has been crushed to death by a truck after falling from a motorcycle during an overtaking manoeuvre on the Agbara-Lusada Expressway in Ogun State.

The fatal road accident occurred around 7pm on Saturday at Cashier Bus Stop, in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state.

The crash involved a white Howo truck and two motorcycles, with five people reportedly involved in the incident.

The spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the accident and said preliminary findings indicated that the crash was linked to an improper overtaking manoeuvre.

According to Akinbiyi, one of the motorcycles was attempting to overtake the truck when its female passenger fell off the motorcycle and came under the moving truck.

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“The RTA/RTC was caused by wrong overtaking on the part of the Okada rider, which led one of the Okada passengers to fall under the truck, which claimed her life,” he said.

The truck involved was identified as a white Howo truck with registration number T-34611LA. The registration numbers of the two motorcycles were not displayed.

Akinbiyi said the five people involved comprised three males and two females.

Two people, a male and a female, sustained injuries in the crash.

The injured victims were reportedly taken to a hospital by a good Samaritan before traffic officials arrived at the scene.

The woman who died was later taken away by her family.

Following the crash, the truck was moved into police custody to assist further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

TRACE operatives and PAPA OSCAR responders were deployed to the scene, where they assisted with managing the aftermath of the crash and clearing the affected section of the road.

The accident caused concern among road users as emergency responders worked to remove the vehicles and restore the flow of traffic along the busy expressway.

The latest incident has again drawn attention to the dangers associated with improper overtaking, particularly on roads frequently used by motorcycles and heavy-duty vehicles.

Traffic authorities routinely advise motorists and motorcycle riders to maintain safe distances, avoid risky manoeuvres and obey traffic regulations, especially when travelling alongside articulated and heavy-duty trucks.

The Agbara-Lusada Expressway is an important transport route linking communities and industrial areas in Ogun State, with significant commercial and commuter traffic.

The authorities are expected to continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash, while road users have been urged to exercise greater caution to reduce the risk of further fatal road crashes.

Woman Crushed to Death During Motorcycle Overtaking Manoeuvre in Ogun