Armed men are pictured in silhouette at sunset in an image used to illustrate reports of attacks and insecurity in Nigeria’s Plateau State. Photo: Business Day.

NNA News - At least nine people have been killed in separate attacks across Nigeria's Plateau State, with violence reported in Barkin Ladi, Riyom and neighbouring communities and additional security forces deployed to affected areas.

The attacks took place between Saturday night and Sunday morning, according to Nigerian media reports and community representatives. Five people travelling to Gana-Ropp in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area were killed when their vehicle came under attack, while two others, including a pastor, were reportedly killed while travelling to church at Dorowa Babuje. A woman was also reported killed at Baten Wereng in Riyom, while another person was killed at Ratyidi in Fan District.

Bulus Dabit, national president of the Mwaghavul Development Association, confirmed the deaths at Gana-Ropp and called for the perpetrators to be arrested. “The continued attacks are causing pain and fear among residents and should not be allowed to continue,” Dabit said, according to Punch.

Ukasha Garaba, the Pyem youth leader in Gana-Ropp, said community members had helped remove the bodies from the scene. “We evacuated the corpses of five persons from Gana-Ropp. They were passengers who were travelling as labourers,” Garaba said.

Rwang Tengwong, spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders, condemned the killings and called for a stronger security presence. “We condemn these attacks in the strongest terms and call on the security agencies to urgently strengthen their presence in the affected communities. The killing of innocent people must stop,” Tengwong said.

The attacks have also been accompanied by reports of cattle being killed or stolen around Dorowa Maranba and the Kantoma area. Gambo Abubakar, secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in Barkin Ladi, confirmed reports of cattle theft and called for an investigation. The reported livestock incidents have not been independently established as the cause of the attacks, and no group has claimed responsibility for the killings.

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang said his administration was working with security agencies and would continue using lawful measures to protect residents. “I cannot abandon my responsibility of securing the people of Plateau State. We will protect our people with all that we have, within the ambit of the law,” Mutfwang said on Sunday. He added: “Plateau State will not be defeated by violence or the gun. We must remain united because our collective strength is critical to overcoming the challenges confronting us.”

The Plateau State Police Command had not publicly responded to inquiries about the latest attacks when Punch published its report, although the newspaper reported that additional security personnel had been deployed to affected communities. Separately, the military's Operation Enduring Peace reported security operations elsewhere in Plateau. Captain Chinonso Oteh, the task force's media information officer, said troops had rescued two kidnapped people, arrested 11 suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate and recovered weapons during operations in Jos North and other areas. The military also reported a separate incident in Ganna-Ropp in which four suspected illegal miners were killed when gunmen opened fire on their vehicle at about 3:38 a.m. Sunday.

The military account introduces a separate casualty discrepancy around Ganna-Ropp, where it reported four people killed in an attack on a vehicle carrying suspected illegal miners, while community-based reports counted five passengers killed in the area. NNA has therefore retained the broader “at least nine” figure and avoided presenting the differing incident breakdowns as definitively reconciled.

The renewed violence comes amid continuing insecurity in Plateau, a state in Nigeria's Middle Belt that has experienced recurring clashes and attacks involving communities, armed groups and disputes over land, farming, grazing and other resources. Recent attacks have also been reported in Mangu and other parts of the state