Tragedy struck in Plateau State on Monday as more than 70 members of a local vigilante group were killed in an ambush by armed bandits in Kukawa and Bunyun communities of Kanam Local Government Area.
According to the Chairman of the Kukawa vigilante group, Aliyu Baffa, the victims were part of a joint team from different security outfits in Wase LGA. They were on a mission to locate the hideouts of the criminals when they were ambushed just a kilometre away from Kukawa town.
Baffa explained that the vigilantes were heading toward a forest reserve known locally as “Madam Forest,” which borders Bauchi and Taraba States, when they were suddenly attacked by the heavily armed bandits.
“They opened fire on us with sophisticated weapons. By the end of the day, we buried more than 70 of our men,” Baffa said. “Some of our members are still missing, and we fear there could be more bodies in the bush.”
The forest where the attack took place has reportedly been a known hideout for bandits operating across state borders.
In a related development, a resident of Bunyun village, Musa Ibrahim, confirmed that 10 vigilante members were also killed in his community during the same wave of attacks. He added that several houses were burnt down by the attackers.
The incident has left the affected communities in deep mourning, with calls for urgent government intervention to secure the area and support the families of those killed.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement yet from the Plateau State Government or security agencies.