No fewer than 10 persons have been confirmed dead following coordinated attacks by gunmen on Dorowa Babuje community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area and Jol community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attacks, which occurred on Sunday evening between 7:15 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., have left several others injured and heightened fears across the affected communities.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants stormed a relaxation spot in Dorowa Babuje and opened fire indiscriminately, killing nine people on the spot. At least two others sustained critical injuries and are currently receiving medical treatment.
In a related attack in Jol community, one person was reportedly killed after gunmen arrived on motorcycles from the Manga axis and began shooting sporadically.
Confirming the incidents, the National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Movement (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, described the attack on Dorowa Babuje as tragic and devastating, saying the community was thrown into mourning.
Similarly, the National President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYMA), Barrister Solomon Dalyop, who spoke in a telephone interview in Jos, said security agencies had been alerted earlier about suspicious movements in the area prior to the Jol attack.
According to Dalyop, personnel of Operation Rainbow, the Plateau State security outfit, were already deployed and were able to repel the attackers in Jol, limiting casualties. He added that the gunmen who attacked Dorowa Babuje were believed to have emerged from the Jong-Wereh axis, where they had allegedly been camped.
Spokesperson for Operation Enduring Peace, Captain Chinonso Oteh, confirmed that troops responded swiftly after receiving distress calls from the affected communities. He said security had been reinforced in the areas while investigations are ongoing to track down the perpetrators.
The fresh violence adds to growing security concerns in parts of Plateau State, particularly in Riyom and Barkin Ladi LGAs, which have witnessed recurring attacks in recent months.
Community leaders and youth groups have renewed calls on both the federal and Plateau State governments to strengthen surveillance, dismantle suspected criminal camps, and adopt proactive security and peacebuilding measures to prevent further bloodshed.
As families mourn their loved ones, residents of Jol and Dorowa Babuje remain gripped by fear, calling for sustained security presence to restore normalcy and protect lives and property.
