Tension grips residents of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State after unidentified gunmen opened fire on a group of local youths, killing two people and injuring six others along the Barkin Ladi–Dorowa Babuje road.
The victims were said to be returning from a security meeting, where they had met with community leaders to discuss solutions to recurring banditry attacks in the community and neighbouring villages, when they were ambushed by armed men hiding in nearby bushes.
Residents disclosed that the attackers, believed to be militia members, ambushed the youths around 7:30 p.m., opened fire indiscriminately, and fled the scene before security officers could arrive.
Following the attack, which left several people with varying degrees of injuries, concerns have been reignited among residents who had begun to believe that the violence that once plagued the region was easing.
The National President of the Berom Youths Moulders Association (BYM), Solomon Dalyop, who confirmed the incident on Thursday, described the attack as “senseless and unprovoked.”
“Our youths had just concluded a security meeting convened by the Sector Four Commander of Operation Enduring Peace,” Dalyop explained.
“While they were on their way back home, they were ambushed. Two of them were killed instantly, six sustained gunshot wounds, and two narrowly escaped.”
He further alleged that the attack may have been linked to recent claims by the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Babayo, who had accused Berom youths of killing a young herder and several cows earlier in the week.
“Whenever they want to carry out attacks, they start with such accusations. Even if something like that had happened, it’s the duty of security agents to investigate, not an excuse for bloodshed,”Dalyop said.
“We believe some individuals at that security meeting may have leaked information to the attackers about the route our people would take home,” he added.
According to him, the corpses of the deceased have been deposited at the Barkin Ladi General Hospital, while the injured are currently receiving treatment.
Meanwhile, residents have called on security agencies to intensify surveillance in the area and prevent any further escalation of violence.
This latest attack serves as another grim reminder of the fragile peace in Plateau’s rural communities, where recurring clashes between herders and locals have claimed hundreds of lives over the years.
