Tragedy struck the Chakfem district in Mangu local government area of Plateau State, with suspected gunmen launching an attack resulting in the deaths of 15 people.
The coordinated assault took place on the evening of Monday, August 18, 2025, in the villages of Manden, Join, Jiblang, Koppang, Mihdihin, and Jilem, where the assailants set homes ablaze and made away with livestock belonging to residents.
Many individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries during the attacks, forcing over 3,000 people to flee their homes in search of safety.
The injured victims are currently receiving treatment at COCIN hospital in Mwar-Chakfem.
The national president of the Mwaghavul development association (MDA), Bulus Dabit, confirmed the incident and noted that communication from the affected areas was delayed due to difficult terrain, which also hampered early response efforts.
He stated that women and children were among those killed in the attack.
The assault reportedly occurred around 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., at a time when many residents were already asleep.
Several homes were destroyed in the attack, including the residence of the traditional ruler and his official vehicle.
Dabit explained that, those who managed to escape did so by fleeing on foot, while others who couldn’t run were killed.
“Security forces were unable to reach the villages immediately due to the remote nature of the terrain.
“They only arrived on Tuesday, August 19, by which time the attackers had already retreated.”
He further noted that, Chakfem district borders Quanpan local government area and parts of Nasarawa State, giving the attackers multiple access routes into the area.
This enabled them to carry out their assault with little resistance.
Dabit called on the federal government to urgently deploy more security personnel to the region, stressing that the communities face the threat of total annihilation if the situation is not addressed.
He emphasized that the frequency and brutality of the attacks suggest a deeper, deliberate agenda by the perpetrators, who have so far remained silent about their motives.
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