Over 70 Vigilantes Slain in Deadly Bandit Ambush in Plateau State

Mass burials held as communities mourn devastating loss in Kanam LGA

 

Tragedy struck Plateau State on Monday as more than 70 local vigilantes were brutally killed in an ambush by suspected bandits in Kukawa and Bunyun communities of Kanam Local Government Area.

The devastating attack, which has plunged the affected communities into mourning, occurred while the vigilantes were on a security mission to uncover suspected bandit hideouts. The victims were part of a combined task force made up of volunteer security personnel from various parts of Wase LGA.

 

Confirming the incident, Chairman of the Kukawa Vigilante Group, Aliyu Baffa, said the joint team was ambushed just about a kilometre from Kukawa town, in a forest known locally as Madam Forest, which borders Bauchi and Taraba states.

“Our men were taken by surprise,” Baffa told reporters on Tuesday. “The bandits were heavily armed and opened fire on our team. So far, we’ve buried more than 70 of our men here in Kukawa. Some are still missing, and we fear we may discover more bodies in the surrounding forest.”

Baffa described the attackers as being equipped with superior firepower, overwhelming the volunteer force that had responded to defend their community.

In a related attack in Bunyun village, a resident, Musa Ibrahim, confirmed that 10 additional vigilantes were killed. Several houses were reportedly set ablaze by the assailants during the raid.

Monday’s ambush marks one of the deadliest single-day losses for local vigilante groups in Plateau State, underscoring the growing threat posed by armed criminal gangs operating across state borders.

Community members and local leaders have since conducted mass burials for the victims, as residents grapple with the scale of the violence and the dire security situation.

There has been no immediate response from State or Federal security agencies at the time of filing this report.