At least 70 members of a local vigilante group were killed on Monday when heavily armed bandits ambushed them in the Kukawa and Bunyun communities of Kanam Local Government Area in Plateau State.
The vigilantes, drawn from various formations in nearby Wase LGA, were reportedly on a mission to locate suspected criminal hideouts in the forest reserve known locally as Madam Forest—an expansive area bordering Bauchi and Taraba States—when they came under heavy fire.
Aliyu Baffa, Chairman of the Kukawa vigilante unit, confirmed the incident to reporters, stating that the attack took place barely a kilometre from Kukawa town.
“Our team walked into an ambush as they approached the forest. The assailants were armed with sophisticated weapons and opened fire immediately,” Baffa said.
According to Baffa, the vigilante group has already buried over 70 victims. However, several members remain unaccounted for, and there are fears more bodies could still be recovered from the surrounding bushes.
“We were overwhelmed. Their weapons were more advanced than ours,” he added.
The attack appears to have been coordinated, with additional casualties reported in the nearby Bunyun community. Local resident Musa Ibrahim said at least 10 vigilantes providing security in the area were also killed, and several homes were set ablaze during the raid.
The mass casualty event underscores the growing challenge faced by community-led security efforts in northern Nigeria, where poorly equipped local forces often stand as the last line of defense against heavily armed criminal groups.
Authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the ambush, but investigations are expected to follow as pressure mounts on security agencies to respond to the continued violence in the region.