Fresh blood has again been spilled in Plateau State as gunmen stormed a quiet community in Riyom Local Government , killing a pastor, his wife and their two children in a late-night attack that has left residents in fear and anger.
The victims — Rev. Ayuba Choji, his wife, Chundung Ayuba, and their children, Cyril and Endurance — were brutally murdered on Sunday night when heavily armed assailants invaded Gako Village at about 11 p.m.
Witnesses said the attackers opened fire indiscriminately, sending terrified residents fleeing in different directions in a desperate bid to escape the hail of bullets.
“The shooting was intense and frightening. People were running helter-skelter. Nobody knew where to go,” a resident, who pleaded anonymity for safety reasons, said.
The latest killings have deepened outrage among locals, who questioned the effectiveness of security operatives deployed to the area, especially soldiers, accusing them of failing to protect lives and property.
Confirming the incident, Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youths Moulder-Association, Rwang Tengwong, described the attack as part of a disturbing pattern of violence targeting rural communities.
He revealed that the attackers often operate in coordinated groups — some launching assaults on residents, others destroying farmlands, while another unit blocks access roads to prevent escape or intervention.
Tengwong further disclosed that within the last 48 hours, gunmen also destroyed vast farmlands in Kassa, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, worsening the plight of already struggling farmers.
According to him, crops such as cabbage, maize and pepper were destroyed, compounding food insecurity and economic hardship in the affected communities.
He called on security agencies to urgently step up efforts to halt the killings and protect vulnerable communities from further attacks.
