Again, Plateau Bleeds as Bandits Kill Over 70 Vigilantes

Wednesday July 09, 2025

By TheNewsDESK |
www.thenewsdesk.ng

No fewer than 70 vigilantes have been reportedly killed in a clash with bandits at Kukawa and Bunyun communities of Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State, ARISE News reported.

Residents of the communities said the clash happened on Tuesday afternoon about 2pm, when hundreds of vigilantes from Wase Local Government Area were ambushed while on their way to bandits’ hideouts.

Chairman of the vigilante group, Kukuwa, Aliyu Baffa, told journalists that “over 70 vigilantes were killed” in the ambush. Baffa added that more bodies could be recovered in the bushes as they were still searching.

He said the clash occurred just a kilometre away from Kukawa town, when bandits ambushed the vigilantes as they were heading to the hideouts at Government Forest Reserve, which shares borders with Bauchi and Taraba states.

Baffa stated that the remains of some of the vigilantes were recovered from farmlands after the clash.

He said, “We have buried more than 60 of the 70 bodies in Kukawa alone. It’s likely that more bodies could be recovered. Some of the vigilantes who escaped confirmed that they were overwhelmed by the bandits.”

A resident of Bunyun, Musa Ibrahim, who also confirmed the clash, said the bandits attacked the community and killed 10 vigilantes who were providing security in the area, adding that they also burned many houses in the community.

Governor Caleb Muftwang had raised the alarm over the high wave of insecurity in the state, lamenting that bandits have taken over 64 communities.

Muftwang had set up a fact-finding committee currently working to proffer lasting solution to the menace.