Tension gripped Gassa community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State on Friday after gunmen killed three vigilantes, including the community’s youth leader.
The attackers reportedly stormed the community around 1am and opened fire on the vigilantes, who were on duty protecting residents.
A resident, John Dung, said the victims were members of the local vigilante group involved in efforts to safeguard the community from attacks.
The killings triggered protests by women and youths, who blocked the major road linking Gassa with Mangu. The protesters also called on soldiers stationed in the area to leave, expressing frustration over repeated attacks despite the presence of security personnel.
One of the protesters, Mrs Esther Pam, lamented the killings, saying residents were tired of losing their loved ones to attacks.
“We are tired of people being killed, and security operatives would just sit and do nothing. We urge them to go after their attackers,” she said.
Confirming the incident, spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders-Association, BYM, Rwang Tengwong, described the killings as sad and disturbing.
Tengwong said the victims were killed while defending their community, adding that their deaths had heightened fears among residents.
He noted that the vigilantes had played an important role by keeping watch and responding to security threats, describing their deaths as a setback to local efforts to protect residents.
The BYM spokesman urged security agencies to intensify efforts to identify and arrest those responsible, while calling for urgent measures to protect communities in Barkin Ladi and other parts of Plateau State.
The protest caused significant gridlock, leaving travellers stranded for hours before security personnel were deployed to the area to restore order and prevent further escalation.
Efforts to obtain comments from security operatives before filing the report were unsuccessful.
