Fear Grips Plateau as Gunmen Butcher 14 in Deadly ambush

Unidentified gunmen killed at least 14 people in an ambush on Thursday, July 24, 2025,  in Plateau State, north-central Nigeria.

Diaspora Digital Media gathered that the victims were returning from a weekly market in Bokkos town when the attackers opened fire near Mangor village.

Local youth leader Moses Maren disclosed that the gunmen “fired gunshots indiscriminately” at vehicles carrying market-goers.

The area, known for its agricultural activity, especially potato farming, has seen repeated outbreaks of violence between farming and herding communities.

Red Cross state secretary, Nurudeen Hussaini Magaji, confirmed the casualty count on Friday morning.

He said men, women, and children were among the dead.

In what appears to be a retaliatory strike, two youths were killed after aggrieved residents attacked a Fulani settlement near the scene of the ambush.

Shanono Usman, a local trader, and Sale Adamu, a Fulani community leader in Bokkos, both confirmed the retaliation and the deaths.

Plateau State, part of Nigeria’s so-called Middle Belt, has long suffered deadly conflicts over land use and ethnic tensions.

Armed gangs known locally as “bandits” often target rural communities where security is weak and law enforcement rarely intervenes.

Markets in Bokkos, held on Mondays and Thursdays, attract traders from across West Africa, including Chad, Niger, Benin, and Cameroon.

The recent attack threatens not only regional stability but also Nigeria’s food supply, as insecurity disrupts agriculture and supply chains.

Experts have linked the surge in violence to competition for land worsened by climate change, human expansion, and religious extremism.

Most farmers in the region are Christian, while herders are often Fulani Muslims, deepening ethnic divisions.

Earlier this year, SBM Intelligence reported food price hikes of over 400 percent in nearby Bauchi State, citing banditry and environmental stress as key drivers.

Meanwhile, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has urged the military to be more proactive in protecting vulnerable communities.

The government has also appealed for calm to prevent further retaliatory violence.

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