At least four individuals have been killed and two others seriously wounded following a violent ambush in Uwok-Ishe, a community in the Kakkek district of Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau State, north-central Nigeria.
The attack reportedly occurred around 7 p.m. on Saturday evening, as the victims were travelling to local mining sites. They were riding on two motorcycles—three passengers on each—when gunmen opened fire on them.
Eyewitness Abubakar Abdullahi, a resident of the community, said the victims were caught completely off guard. “We heard gunshots and quickly mobilised alongside members of the Rukuba ethnic group to the area. When we arrived, four people had already died, and two were critically injured,” he said. The injured were immediately transported to Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for emergency treatment.
Abdullahi described the area as a historically peaceful zone where Fulani and Rukuba (Bache) communities have coexisted, engaging in joint economic activities such as farming and mining. “This tragedy is deeply unsettling for a community that prides itself on inter-ethnic cooperation,” he added.
Confirming the incident, Dauda Aku, Youth President of the Bache ethnic group, expressed profound sorrow. “Around 9 p.m., I received a distress call informing me that some of our people had been attacked on their way to earn a living. Two of our members are dead, and one remains in critical condition,” he stated.
Aku criticised the persistent insecurity in the region, warning that this latest incident was part of a worrying pattern of violence. “This is not the first time lives have been lost under such circumstances. Unfortunately, no concrete action has been taken to prevent a recurrence,” he lamented.
As of the time of reporting, authorities had not issued an official statement. Attempts to reach Major Samson Zhakom, spokesperson for Operation Safe Haven—a multi-agency security task force operating in the area—were unsuccessful.
Plateau State has long struggled with intermittent communal violence and criminal activity, often linked to land disputes, cattle grazing, and mining rights. Human rights groups and civil society organisations continue to call on the Nigerian government to implement more effective security measures in the region, as residents live in fear of recurrent attacks.
