Gunmen kill 14 returning from Bokkos market in Plateau ambush

|By Adejumo Adekunle

…Women and babies among victims of highway massacre
…Community leader blames Fulani militias, questions peace efforts

Tragedy struck again in Plateau State on Thursday, July 24, 2025, as gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits ambushed a vehicle along Chirang Road in the Mangor District of Bokkos Local Government Area, killing 14 passengers, including women and babies.

The victims, according to eyewitness accounts, were returning from the popular weekly Bokkos market when the attackers struck. Eyewitnesses told reporters that the assailants, armed and masked, blocked the road and opened fire on the vehicle, killing most of the occupants on the spot and injuring several others.

One of the witnesses, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said the attack was sudden and brutal. “The gunmen just appeared and started shooting at the vehicle without warning. It was a horrific scene,” he said.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Bokkos Cultural Development Forum (BCDF), Farmasum Fuddang, issued a statement on Friday condemning the attack and expressing shock over the killings, especially in light of recent peace efforts within the area.

“The victims were returning from the weekly market in Bokkos town when their vehicle was ambushed. Among them were women and little babies,” Fuddang stated. “This violence occurs despite various so-called peace and reconciliation efforts.”

He blamed Fulani militias for the attack, saying there was no ambiguity about who carried it out. “Let’s stop pretending not to know the truth. The same group we keep calling for peace with is the one waging war on our people,” he said, warning that their intention is to take over the local government area, which is known as the potato headquarters of Nigeria.

The attack is the latest in a series of deadly ambushes that have plagued Plateau communities despite repeated government assurances of improved security and peace-building.

As of the time of filing this report, no official statement had been issued by the Plateau State Police Command.