Terrorists Kill 20 Security Officers and Vigilantes During Plateau Attack

At least 20 security personnel and local vigilantes were killed when heavily armed terrorists ambushed a patrol team in the Garga area of Kanam Local Government Area, Plateau State.

The incident occurred around 4 p.m. on Friday when a combined team of military personnel and vigilantes, travelling in two vehicles on routine patrol across Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau, and neighbouring communities, came under heavy fire near Wanka, our correspondent reports.

According to a press statement issued on Saturday by the Kanam Development Association (KADA), the attack claimed the lives of about 12 security personnel, including two senior military officers, while eight vigilante members who joined the patrol were also killed.

“While some terrorists were reportedly neutralised during the exchange, the attackers later stormed Kyaram community, looting property worth millions of naira and rustling a large number of cattle from innocent residents,” the statement said.

KADA described the attack as part of a prolonged wave of insecurity that has affected border communities linking Plateau with Taraba and Bauchi States over the past three to four years.

The association highlighted recurring incidents of terrorism, cattle rustling, kidnappings, and property destruction, despite repeated appeals to authorities for intervention.

The statement, jointly signed by Barr. Garba Aliyu, chairman, and Shehu Kanam, secretary, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and condemned the continued freedom with which terrorists operate in the volatile corridor.

“We call for urgent intervention from the local government, Plateau State Government, and the Federal Government. There is a need for the immediate deployment of additional military and security forces to Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau, Wanka, and surrounding areas, as well as the establishment of permanent security outposts in these border communities,” the statement said.

KADA also urged authorities to implement coordinated security operations along the Plateau-Taraba-Bauchi borderand provide relief support for victims who have lost livelihoods, homes, and livestock.

The association stressed that the affected communities are law-abiding citizens seeking only to farm, raise families, and contribute to national development.

Condolences were extended to the Nigerian Armed Forces, families of the fallen soldiers and vigilantes, and the bereaved communities, with a call for the crisis to be treated as a national security and humanitarian emergency.