Plateau State authorities imposed a dusk‑to‑dawn curfew on Monday, 21 September, in the local government areas of Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu in an effort to curb a fresh wave of violence. Despite the restriction, killings were reported on Tuesday, with gunmen ambushing security personnel and civilians in several locations.
At about 4 p.m. on Tuesday, gunmen attacked a patrol of the state’s Operation Rainbow on Gagshi Road, killing one security operative. The ambush took place before the curfew began, underscoring that the threat persists during daylight hours.
In a separate incident in the community of Rakok (also known as Kafi Abu) in Barkin Ladi, three civilians were shot dead while attending a funeral for two men who had been killed the previous day while travelling to Gashish, according to local source Lawrence Gyang.
Later that evening, the Mwaghavul Youth Movement (MYM) reported that three Mwaghavul men – Samson Dachet (45), Gambo Fwangyil (50) and Zughumnan Bamaiyi (35) – were killed in an ambush at the Kyikyau‑Gyambwas boundary in Mangu Halle District at about 7:39 p.m., while the curfew was already in effect.
“I would have also been involved in that incident if not that God, out of His mercy, saved me,” said Barr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, president of the Berom Youth Moulders‑Association, who said he narrowly escaped the Operation Rainbow ambush. “This security challenge has entered another level. This thing is taking a bigger dimension. This will not be a night attack again. This will not be even during daytime.”
“We just experienced an ambush in which a security personnel attached to Operation Rainbow was killed,” a security operative, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed.
Commissioner for Information and Communication Joyce Lohya Ramnap explained that the curfew, which also bans motorcycle use, is intended to maintain public order, protect lives and give security agencies space to stabilise the affected communities. Youth groups, however, have called for a review of the curfew, demanding more effective patrols, rapid‑response capacity and intelligence‑led operations to protect residents who remain vulnerable even when movement is restricted. The recent attacks follow a series of killings over the preceding weekend that left at least nine people dead across Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Mangu, including labourers travelling to Gana‑Ropp and a pastor killed en route to church.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
