14 Killed in Fresh Plateau Ambush as Terror Attacks Escalate
A fresh wave of violence has struck Plateau State, leaving at least 14 people dead in a brutal ambush on Tuesday, July 23, 2025. The attack, which targeted villagers returning from the Bokkos weekly market, is the latest in a string of escalating assaults that have continued to unsettle the region.
According to local sources, the victims, which included women and children, were travelling in a vehicle through Chirang village in Mangor District, Bokkos Local Government Area, when gunmen suspected to be armed herders blocked the road and opened fire. Eyewitnesses described a scene of chaos and horror, with unarmed civilians gunned down in cold blood.
Leaders from the Bokkos Cultural Development Forum (BCDF) have condemned the killings, describing them as part of a calculated campaign to displace indigenous communities from their ancestral lands. In a statement, BCDF’s Farmasum Fuddang said the region has witnessed nearly 100 killings over the past two years, with Christmas Eve 2023 marking one of the deadliest attacks when over 60 people were murdered in coordinated assaults on multiple villages.
Residents reported that armed men had been sighted moving in large numbers toward villages in the area prior to the attack, and military personnel were said to have engaged the attackers in a separate confrontation shortly afterward. However, many in the community have expressed frustration over what they perceive as a slow and ineffective response from both local and federal authorities.
This latest incident adds to a growing list of tragedies in Plateau State, which has become a flashpoint for recurring conflict between farming communities and suspected herders. Just days earlier, on July 15, at least 27 people were killed in coordinated attacks in Riyom Local Government Area, further deepening fears among residents.
Civil society groups and community leaders have repeatedly called for a stronger security presence in the region and the prosecution of those behind these killings. They warn that continued silence and inaction from government officials will only embolden the perpetrators and escalate the cycle of violence.
As families in Bokkos mourn the latest victims, there are renewed appeals for President Bola Tinubu’s administration to intensify security efforts in central Nigeria and deliver justice for those affected by these senseless killings. For now, however, fear remains a constant presence in the lives of thousands of villagers across Plateau State.
