At least 14 people, including women and infants, were killed on Thursday in a brutal ambush near Chirang village in the Mangor district of Plateau State, central Nigeria. The victims were returning from the weekly market in Bokkos when their vehicle was intercepted by heavily armed assailants, according to eyewitnesses.

The attackers, suspected by local leaders to be Fulani militias, opened fire on the vehicle, killing passengers and injuring several others. The Bokkos Cultural Development Forum (BCDF) condemned the attack, calling it part of a coordinated campaign to displace native communities in the region.

“This violence occurs despite various so-called peace and reconciliation efforts,” said BCDF Chairman Farmasum Fuddang, who described the killings as a deliberate attempt to seize control of the area, known as Nigeria’s potato capital.

The Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN) denied involvement, urging authorities to conduct a thorough investigation before assigning blame.

Plateau State has seen a surge in ethno-religious violence, with over 150 villages reportedly occupied by armed groups in recent years. The latest attack follows a series of deadly incidents, including a mass killing on Christmas Eve 2023, and has reignited calls for a revised national security strategy, as ordered by President Bola Tinubu in April.

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