In a disturbing escalation of insecurity in Nigeria's North-Central region, at least ten individuals have lost their lives in a series of coordinated attacks spanning two local government areas in Plateau State. The incidents, which unfolded between Friday, November 1, 2025, and Saturday, November 2, 2025, targeted vulnerable rural communities, leaving residents in a state of profound grief and heightened fear. Reports from local leaders and community associations paint a grim picture of ambushes carried out by suspected armed militias, highlighting the persistent challenges of communal clashes, resource disputes, and inadequate security responses in the region.
The bulk of the fatalities occurred in Kwi community, located within Riyom Local Government Area. According to eyewitness accounts and confirmations from community figures, seven people were killed in a brazen assault on Friday evening. The attackers, believed to be Fulani herdsmen militias based on descriptions provided by survivors and local authorities, stormed the village under the cover of darkness. Homes were reportedly set ablaze, and residents who attempted to flee were pursued and gunned down. The violence did not end there; on Saturday afternoon, another individual was slain while tending to his farm on the outskirts of the community. Later that same night, a follow-up attack claimed yet another life, bringing the total death toll in Kwi to at least nine, though initial reports consolidated some figures under the Riyom incidents.
Rwang Tengwon, a prominent community leader in Riyom, spoke exclusively to Punch Newspapers on Sunday, November 3, 2025, providing a detailed chronology of the events. "The Kwi community was attacked on Friday by suspected Fulani militia, and seven persons were killed outright," Tengwon recounted. "One person was also killed on his farm on Saturday afternoon, and another attack happened at night, resulting in additional casualties." His statement underscores the calculated nature of the assaults, which appeared to target farmers and villagers engaged in daily livelihoods. Tengwon expressed frustration over the recurring pattern of such violence, noting that similar incidents have plagued the area for years without decisive intervention from security forces.
Meanwhile, in the neighboring Pushit community of Mangu Local Government Area, three more lives were extinguished in a separate but related spate of gunfire. The Mwaghavul Development Association (MDA), a key advocacy group representing the indigenous Mwaghavul people, issued an official statement on the matter, signed by its Director of Public Affairs, Friday Derwan. The document, released on Sunday, confirmed the deaths and detailed the timeline of the attack, which mirrored the brutality seen in Riyom. "We are deeply saddened to report the killing of three innocent community members in Pushit," the statement read. It went on to describe how gunmen, arriving on motorcycles and armed with sophisticated weapons, opened fire indiscriminately on residents gathered in a communal area.
The MDA's plea for action was emphatic and urgent: “We call upon security operatives in our local government area and Plateau State to rise to the challenge of curbing these unwarranted assaults on innocent lives.” The association highlighted the broader implications of the attacks, including the displacement of families, destruction of farmlands, and erosion of trust in governmental protection mechanisms. Pushit, like Kwi, is a predominantly farming settlement, and the timing of the violence—coinciding with the harvest season—suggests a possible motive tied to longstanding farmer-herder conflicts over grazing lands and water resources.
This latest outbreak of bloodshed adds to Plateau State's unfortunate reputation as a hotspot for ethno-religious and resource-based violence. The state, situated on the dividing line between Nigeria's predominantly Muslim North and Christian South, has witnessed cycles of reprisal attacks between Fulani pastoralists and indigenous farming communities for over two decades. Analysts point to factors such as climate change-induced scarcity of arable land, proliferation of small arms, and alleged complicity or inaction by some security personnel as exacerbating elements. In Riyom and Mangu specifically, previous incidents have claimed hundreds of lives, with mass burials becoming a somber ritual in affected villages.
As of Sunday afternoon, no official statement had been released by the Plateau State Police Command or the Nigerian Army's Operation Safe Haven, the military task force mandated to maintain peace in the region. However, sources within the security apparatus indicated that patrols had been intensified, and investigations were underway to identify and apprehend the perpetrators. Community leaders like Tengwon and the MDA have criticized what they perceive as a reactive rather than proactive approach to security, arguing that intelligence failures and delayed responses allow attackers to melt back into the bush before reinforcements arrive.
The human toll extends beyond the confirmed deaths. Dozens of residents in both Kwi and Pushit have sustained injuries, with some in critical condition at local health facilities. Properties worth millions of naira, including homes, granaries, and livestock, were looted or destroyed. Women and children, who form the majority of the displaced, are now seeking refuge in nearby towns or with relatives, further straining already limited resources. Psychologically, the trauma is profound; survivors speak of sleepless nights and a pervasive sense of vulnerability.
Broader contextual analysis reveals that these attacks occur against a backdrop of national insecurity challenges. Nigeria grapples with multiple fronts: Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast, banditry in the Northwest, and separatist agitations in the Southeast. In the Middle Belt, including Plateau, the farmer-herder clashes have evolved into sophisticated guerrilla warfare, often fueled by ethnic tensions. Human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, have documented patterns of impunity, where perpetrators rarely face justice, perpetuating the cycle.
Calls for federal intervention have grown louder. Civil society groups advocate for the establishment of ranches to resolve grazing disputes peacefully, while others demand the deployment of more technology-driven surveillance, such as drones and CCTV in vulnerable areas. Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, who assumed office in 2023 amid promises to tackle insecurity, faces mounting pressure to deliver on his agenda. Past administrations have initiated peace accords and community dialogues, but enforcement remains weak.
In the immediate term, humanitarian aid is desperately needed. Organizations like the Red Cross are mobilizing to provide food, medical supplies, and temporary shelter. Community vigilantes, though controversial due to risks of escalation, have stepped up patrols, arming themselves with locally made weapons in the absence of state protection.
As the sun set on another day of mourning in Riyom and Mangu, the question lingering in the minds of residents is not if, but when the next attack will strike. The ten lives lost—farmers, fathers, mothers, and youths—represent not just statistics, but shattered dreams and orphaned futures. Until systemic issues are addressed, Plateau's communities remain trapped in a vortex of violence that threatens the fragile fabric of Nigeria's unity.
