At least nine people, including a pastor on his way to church, are killed in a wave of attacks across Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and Fan District communities in Plateau State over the weekend, as cattle rustling also hits the same area.
Barkin Ladi/Riyom, Plateau State — September 21, 2026
At least nine people, including a pastor, were killed in a series of separate attacks across Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and neighbouring communities in Plateau State between Saturday night and Sunday morning, in one of the deadliest single weekends recorded in the state in recent weeks.
The deadliest single incident struck Saturday night, when gunmen attacked a group of passengers travelling to Gana-Ropp in Barkin Ladi LGA, killing five people. Pyem Youth Leader in Gana-Ropp, Ukasha Garaba, confirmed the toll, saying the victims were labourers travelling for work: "We evacuated the corpses of five persons from Gana-Ropp. They were passengers who were travelling as labourers."
In a separate attack at Dorowa Babuje on Sunday morning, two people, including a pastor, were killed while heading to church. Berom Youth Moulders spokesman Rwang Tengwong confirmed the killing, saying: "We learnt that the pastor was going to church when he was attacked and killed. We condemn these attacks in the strongest terms." He added,
"The killing of innocent people must stop," and called on security agencies to urgently strengthen their presence in affected communities, investigate the incidents, and ensure the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
The wave of violence extended further: a woman was killed at Baten Wereng in Riyom LGA on Saturday night, and another person was killed at Ratyidi in Fan District. National President of the Mwaghavul Development Association, Bulus Dabit, separately confirmed the Gana-Ropp killings and condemned the broader pattern of attacks, saying,
"The continued attacks are causing pain and fear among residents and should not be allowed to continue." He also called on security operatives to pursue and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Beyond the human casualties, several cattle were reportedly killed or stolen at Dorowa Maranba and the Kantoma axis at around 3 a.m. on Sunday. Gambo Abubakar, Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in Barkin Ladi, confirmed the rustling report and urged security agencies to investigate and help restore calm to the area.
Tension has reportedly continued to mount in Kantoma and surrounding communities in the aftermath of the weekend's violence. The scale and spread of the attacks, striking passengers, a pastor, a woman, and livestock across at least five distinct locations within roughly 24 hours, adds to an already devastating run of violence in Plateau State this month, following the coordinated attacks that killed 13 people across Jos South, Mangu, and Riyom LGAs just days earlier, and the nationwide security red alert warning of armed elements moving toward the state.
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