At least seven people have been killed and more than 20 hectares of farmland destroyed in fresh attacks across parts of Plateau State, deepening security concerns in communities already operating under a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
The casualties were reported in separate incidents on September 23 and 24 in Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Gashish areas of the state.
The Berom Youth Moulders Association, BYM, disclosed the figures in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong.
According to the association, two miners, identified as 25-year-old Phillip Luka and 34-year-old Sunday John, were killed on September 23 at a mining site in Kworos Gangare, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
The same day, farmlands in Jol, Riyom, Exland, Gashish, Rapwomol and Dorowa Babuje were reportedly destroyed.
The following day, the association reported two deaths at Nghar, Exland, in Gashish District, and three more at Gassa, Barkin Ladi.
The three victims at Gassa were identified as Ishaya Pam Dung, 47, a married father of two; Barnabas Gyang Jack, 23, who had one child; and 26-year-old Manasseh Luka Mushwer.
The figures bring the reported toll from the latest incidents to seven, comprising two miners at Kworos Gangare, two people at Nghar and three at Gassa. The casualties and farmland destruction had not been independently confirmed by security authorities at the time of reporting.
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Curfew fails to halt fresh attacks
The recent incidents have raised fresh questions about the effectiveness of security measures in the affected communities.
The Plateau State Government imposed a 6pm to 6am curfew on Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas on September 21 following a series of attacks. The restriction was intended to help security agencies stabilise the areas, protect residents and prevent further breakdown of law and order. A ban on motorcycles was also introduced across the affected jurisdictions.
Yet, according to the BYM, fresh killings occurred within Barkin Ladi and Gashish only two days after the restriction took effect.
The association questioned the effectiveness of the existing security arrangements and called for intelligence-led operations capable of locating and dismantling alleged criminal hideouts.
The concern comes against the backdrop of other attacks recorded in the state this month.
On September 23, a security operative attached to Operation Rainbow and three civilians were reportedly killed in separate incidents in Barkin Ladi. The security team was ambushed along Gagshi Road while responding to a distress call, according to reports from local sources.
Three vigilantes were also killed in Kassa, Barkin Ladi, in the early hours of September 25. The incident triggered protests by women and youths, who blocked the Jos-Barkin Ladi highway to demand stronger protection. The Plateau Government subsequently assured motorists that the highway was open and safe for passage.
The Plateau State House of Assembly had already called for emergency security intervention in Barkin Ladi on September 24. The lawmakers sought stronger security presence and the full occupation of the Mobile Police Barracks in Gashish, alongside infrastructure repairs and humanitarian assistance for affected communities.
Farmland losses threaten food supply
Beyond the fatalities, the reported destruction of more than 20 hectares of farmland gives the latest violence an economic dimension.
The affected farms represent more than damaged property. They are sources of food, household income and seasonal employment for rural families.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation recently identified Plateau among Nigerian states where conflict is disrupting agricultural activity. Its September 2026 country brief said insecurity was restricting access to farmland in several conflict-affected states, with some farming households reducing cultivation or suspending agricultural activities altogether.
That makes the reported destruction particularly significant at a time when Nigeria is already facing serious food-security pressures.
The BYM therefore called for an assessment of the affected farms and assistance for families whose crops and sources of income had been lost.
The association also asked the National Assembly, National Human Rights Commission, humanitarian organisations and international bodies to monitor the situation and support civilian protection, livelihood recovery and accountability.
“Plateau communities have endured enough bloodshed. Citizens have a right to live in their homes, travel freely, farm their lands, conduct legitimate businesses and bury their loved ones without fear,” the association stated.
It added that every life lost leaves a family devastated, while each farm destroyed brings affected households closer to hunger and poverty.
The latest attacks therefore extend beyond a tally of casualties. They combine loss of life with damage to the agricultural base on which many rural families depend, while placing renewed pressure on security agencies to translate the existing curfew and other measures into effective protection for vulnerable communities.
