Thursday, December 18, 2025 - Suspected herdsmen have k!lled 12 artisanal miners and abducted three others in Ratoso community, Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
An eyewitness who escaped the attack told Tribune Online
that the gunmen, in large numbers, attacked a mining site in the community at
about 9:30 pm on Tuesday, December 16, 2025 and opened fire indiscriminately on
the group of young miners.
Five others were injured while attempting to escape the
onslaught.
It was gathered that the attackers, who had been hiding in
the community prior to the incident, caught the miners unawares.
Most of the victims were engrossed in night mining
activities, making it difficult for them either to confront the assailants or
flee.
Residents of the community have expressed concern about
those abducted and taken away on motorcycles by the attackers.
“We can see the bodies of those killed, but we are even more
concerned about those who were abducted,” one resident said.
The National President of the Berom Youth Moulder
Association, Barrister Solomon Dalyop, who confirmed the incident.
“At the moment, I am at the scene of the incident. We are
making efforts to bury the 12 persons killed, while those injured have been
taken to the hospital,” he said.
“Our main worry right now is the three abducted persons. We
are urging the security agencies, particularly operatives of Operation Enduring
Peace, to help secure their release. The community is currently in deep agony
over this unfortunate incident."
Barrister Dalyop said there had been an early warning this
month about possible attacks on several Plateau communities before and during
the Christmas season.
He added that, prior to the latest incident, four
communities were attacked simultaneously last week by marauders.
He expressed concern that the Nigerian government had yet to
take decisive action against terrorism, even after the United States President,
Donald Trump, designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
“This recent occurrence confirms the early warning that
there would be attacks before and during the Christmas season. We are surprised
that, despite being designated as a Country of Particular Concern, the Nigerian
government has made little or no effort to address the nation’s security
challenges," he said.
"This also suggests that our security agencies are not
living up to expectations. The protection of lives and property should be of
paramount concern to the security agencies, but what we are experiencing falls
far below expectations,” he said.
The spokesman of the Plateau State Police Command, SP Alfred
Alabo, who confirmed the attack, said the Divisional Police Officer of the
area, alongside his men, was still in the bush working with the community to
apprehend the attackers.
"Investigation is ongoing, and as soon as the DPO
concludes his findings, we will brief journalists,” he said.
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