Gunmen Attack Mass Funeral in Plateau, Kill 7 Including Entire Family of Five

A mass burial in Ndang village, Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Plateau State turned into a second massacre on Wednesday when gunmen opened fire on mourners gathered to bury seven people killed the night before — among them an entire family of five.

The original attack happened Tuesday night around 9 p.m., when gunmen raided the community and killed seven residents. By Wednesday afternoon, as locals were digging a mass grave for the victims, the attackers returned.

Attackers Descended From Surrounding Hills

Eyewitnesses say the gunmen had positioned themselves on hills overlooking Ndang village and watched the burial preparations before launching the assault. The moment they moved in, mourners fled — leaving the dead barely buried.

Masara Kim, a journalist who was present at the scene, described it as part of a wider coordinated assault on multiple communities at the same time.

“So right now, there is an ongoing attack, a massive attack… more than five communities are experiencing simultaneous attacks,” Kim said.

He said the mass grave was barely two feet deep when the shooting started.

“The mass grave was just a little below two feet, but they had to abandon the digging and just dump the bodies in them. There weren’t any official funeral rites yet… just a brief prayer, and moments later, there were incoming gunshots,” Kim recounted.

He also witnessed a civilian defender shot at close range as he tried to hold off the attackers with a homemade pipe gun.

Governor Blames Politicians

Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, speaking to journalists at Government House in Jos on Tuesday, blamed the state’s recurring violence on political actors.

“I make bold to say that the insecurity situation in Plateau State is being sponsored by desperate politicians who are out to destabilize the state,” Mutfwang said.

“If you noticed, this violence and attacks always peak during election cycles. What does that tell us? It is a clear indication that it is political; in fact, they are more political than terrorism.”

He also pointed out that recent attacks in Kanam, Wase, and Quan Pan LGAs — areas with majority Muslim populations — were carried out against people of the same faith, which he said ruled out religious extremism as the sole motive.

Police Deploy to Flashpoints

The Plateau State Police Command confirmed additional security personnel had been deployed to Barkin Ladi LGA flashpoints following the killings. As of Wednesday evening, the full death toll from both the Tuesday night raid and the funeral attack remained unclear, with community sources reporting several more killed and others wounded in the second assault.

Barkin Ladi has been one of the deadliest flashpoints in Plateau State’s long-running communal violence, with farming communities repeatedly targeted in attacks that have gone largely unpunished.

Sources: TheWill, Daily Report Nigeria, AllAfrica, Daily Post