Tragedy in Plateau: Three Killed in Jos South Ambush Despite Presidential Visit

By Babatunji Wusu

A wave of grief has once again swept through Plateau State following a deadly ambush in the Nyamgo Gyel community of Jos South Local Government Area. On Friday, suspected gunmen attacked a group of approximately 15 youths returning from a mining site in Gero, leaving three dead and one critically injured. The victims have been identified as Luka Sandu Pam (36), Samuel Davou (38), and Deme Saidu (35).

The timing of the attack has sparked intense local outrage, occurring less than 48 hours after President Bola Tinubu visited the state to offer condolences and personal assurances of justice following the recent Angwan Rukuba massacre, which claimed 26 lives. The President had promised heightened protection for vulnerable communities, yet this latest incident suggests a daring defiance by armed groups operating in the region.

According to Dung Davou, a youth leader in Gyel, the victims were traveling on motorcycles when they were met with sporadic gunfire, forcing the group to scatter into the bushes. “Unfortunately, three of our people were killed,” he stated, attributing the attack to suspected herdsmen. Solomon Dalyop, Chairman of the Berom Youth Moulder Association, condemned the killings as a “grim reflection” of the state’s deteriorating security. He noted the irony of the tragedy occurring as the young men returned home to observe Good Friday with their families.

The incident has reignited calls for community self-defense, with Dalyop warning that residents may be left with “no choice but to start protecting ourselves” if government intervention remains ineffective. While the police arrived post-attack to transport the survivor to a hospital, official comments from State Police spokesperson Alfred Alabo remain unavailable. As the community prepares for the burial of the three men, the atmosphere in Jos remains tense, with residents demanding a permanent security presence to reclaim the bushes from armed groups.

Do you believe that community-led policing is a necessary solution to the recurring security challenges in Plateau State, or would it risk further escalating the violence?

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