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BARKIN LADI, PLATEAU STATE — By Prime Brief Media

Scores of women from the Gashish community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State took to the streets on Monday, April 20, 2026, in a furious protest that culminated in the destruction of a military checkpoint. The women, who marched in large numbers, expressed deep frustration over what they described as the failure of security forces to protect their community from repeated attacks by armed assailants.

The protest was triggered by renewed violence late Sunday night, April 19, which sources indicate claimed the lives of at least six persons across multiple locations in Barkin Ladi and neighboring Riyom Local Government Area. The attacks have caused widespread panic and triggered fresh displacement of residents from vulnerable settlements.

Eyewitnesses told Prime Brief Media that the women, many of them widows and mothers who have lost children to the recurring violence, descended on the checkpoint with sticks, stones, and bare hands, dismantling barricades and setting fire to makeshift structures used by soldiers stationed at the post.

"We are tired of burying our children and husbands. The soldiers are here, yet we are still dying. If they cannot protect us, they should leave our land," Mercy Dachung, a mother of four and one of the protesters, told Prime Brief Media at the scene. Her voice trembling with emotion, she added, "What is the purpose of this checkpoint if the killers come and go as they please?"

Another protester, Nancy Gyang, echoed the sentiment, accusing security operatives of responding only after the damage had been done. "Each time we are attacked, we call them. They come after we have counted our losses. Are they with us or with the killers? We removed that checkpoint because it has not stopped the attacks," Gyang stated.

Chundung Bot, a respected women's leader in the community, articulated the collective anguish of the protesters. "They tell us they are here for peace, but there is no peace. Our youths are gone, our elderly are gone, and our farms are no longer safe. We have been patient, but patience has not saved us. Today we are saying enough is enough."

The destruction of the checkpoint represents a significant escalation in community frustration toward security agencies operating in Plateau State. The region has endured years of cyclical violence, often characterised by attacks on rural farming communities and reprisal killings, with residents frequently alleging that security forces are either overwhelmed, indifferent, or complicit.

In a separate but related development, the Berom Youth Moulders Association has issued a statement debunking social media reports alleging that "Berom bandits" were arrested in Danwal. The association described the claims as false and inflammatory, warning that such narratives risk further endangering an already traumatised population.

The association further disclosed that two residents were recently attacked in the area and that local youths who intervened to rescue a victim were subsequently arrested by security personnel. The group has called for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained youths, arguing that they acted in self-defence and in the absence of timely security intervention.

As of the time of this report, no official response had been issued by the Nigerian military's Operation Safe Haven, the special task force deployed to maintain peace in Plateau State, nor by the Plateau State Government. Repeated attempts by Prime Brief Media to reach military spokespersons for comment were unsuccessful.

The silence from official channels is likely to compound the sense of abandonment expressed by the protesting women and the broader Gashish community. Analysts note that the erosion of trust between security agencies and host communities poses a grave threat to any sustainable peace-building efforts in the region.

Prime Brief Media will continue to monitor developments in Barkin Ladi and provide updates as official responses and further details emerge.

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