Death toll rises above 60 in midnight Plateau community massacres

The death toll from a brutal early morning attack on the Zike community in Kimakpa District, Kwall, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State has surged to over 60, following a coordinated onslaught by suspected militia on Monday, April 14, 2025.

The attack, which began around 2:45 a.m., left the community reeling in grief, as survivors conducted a mass burial for the victims on Monday evening while frantic searches continued in nearby bushes for additional bodies.

According to Danjuma Dickson Auta, the National Secretary of the Irigwe Development Association (IDA), the attackers—believed to be Fulani militia—numbered over 100 and were heavily armed with sophisticated weapons.

They stormed the village under the cover of darkness and opened fire indiscriminately, killing men, women, children, and even infants in their sleep.

“It was a coordinated massacre,” Auta said with deep anguish. “The assailants came in large numbers and began shooting sporadically; killing anyone they came across, including old men and nursing mothers. They also torched homes, churches, food barns, clinics, shops, and vehicles—leaving the entire village in ruins.”

Auta confirmed that over 50 people sustained severe injuries, many of them from gunshots or while fleeing through the rugged terrain in panic.

Some of the corpses recovered were burnt beyond recognition, forcing the community to bury them in a mass grave as a measure of urgency and respect.

He further stated, “As we speak, search parties are combing the surrounding bushes for bodies of villagers who may have been killed while trying to escape or are missing.

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The entire community is devastated. We are calling on the government and security agencies to intervene immediately. This is beyond us—we are unarmed civilians.”

The attack reportedly continued for hours, with initial calls for help only reaching security operatives in a neighboring community after the damage had already been done.

Though the security forces eventually engaged and repelled the attackers, the carnage had already claimed dozens of lives and destroyed livelihoods.

In response to the tragedy, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang convened an emergency expanded State Security Council meeting on Monday night at the Government House in Jos.

The meeting brought together security chiefs and local government chairmen to address the renewed wave of violence, particularly in Bassa and Bokkos Local Government Areas.

In a statewide broadcast delivered later that night, Governor Mutfwang condemned the attack and expressed deep concern over what he described as a “disturbing resurgence of deadly assaults on innocent communities.”

He assured the public that his administration is working closely with security agencies to unravel the circumstances behind the attack and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

He urged residents to remain calm and not to resort to retaliation, warning that such actions could further destabilize the region.

The governor concluded his address with a prayer for the grieving families, asking for divine comfort and healing for the wounded.

As at the time of filing this report, the Zike community remains in mourning, with humanitarian agencies and local volunteers working round the clock to provide emergency relief to displaced residents.