A young man, said to be the son of a pastor with the Church of Christ in Nations, COCIN, was reportedly killed by gunmen suspected to be Fulani militants in a fresh attack in Kuk village, Gashish District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday night.

Conflict journalist, Masara Kim Usman, who confirmed the incident in a post he shared on his Facebook page, said the terrorists, who were armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed the pastor’s house at about 10:30pm and opened fire sporadically, killing the young man in the process.

“Armed militants identified by local sources as Fulani reportedly attacked the residence of a COCIN pastor in Kuk village, Gashish District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area at about 10:30pm. 

“According to local sources, between three and five gunmen forcibly broke into the home of the leading Pastor of the Church of Christ in Nations, COCIN, in Kuk, firing automatic weapons for several minutes. The Pastor’s son was fatally shot during the invasion,” Usman wrote. 

He stated that the attack was, however, curtailed by the swift intervention of local civilian guards who engaged the assailants and forced them to flee before soldiers arrived from their base located three miles away, saving the rest of the family from further harm.

Another post shared by the President of the Berom Youth-Moulders Association, BYM, Solomon Mwantiri, indicated that, before the attack, there was a security alert to that effect.

The warning read:

“Urgent Terror Alert- Barkin Ladi, Riyom LGAs, Plateau State, Nigeria 

“Armed men identified by locals as Fulani militants have been sighted advancing toward villages 30-35 miles south of Jos.

“As of 1900hrs WAT Sunday, August 2, gunshots are reportedly being heard in the distance around Rim village in Riyom LGA. Another armed group on motorcycles has been spotted moving toward Ropp District in neighboring Barkin Ladi LGA, according to local sources. 

“Communities such as Rim, Gwon, Gwa-Rim, Jol, Tanjol, Wereng and surrounding settlements in Riyom LGA; Wereh, Dorowa Babuje, Nding and surrounding settlements in Barkin Ladi LGA are advised to be on high alert.

“Residents should maintain maximum vigilance, avoid isolated routes, and report any suspicious movement immediately to community leaders and security agencies.

“The military and other law enforcement agencies are urged to reinforce security presence in these areas urgently.”

Suspected armed bandits, operating under notorious kingpin, Ado Aleiro have reportedly appointed a new field commander following the recent death of Kachalla Iliya Mai Rasha, while communities in parts of Zamfara State are allegedly being forced to contribute money for the purchase of weapons.

The development was reported by security analyst, Zagazola Makama.

According to the report, the appointment is part of efforts by the gang to reorganise its operations after recent military offensives targeting bandit enclaves across the North-West.

Makama reported that although the identity of the newly appointed commander has not yet been disclosed, bandit emissaries have allegedly imposed a N200,000 levy on each village in the western axis of Tsafe Local Government Area.

According to Makama, the levy is expected to generate about N25 million, which the group allegedly intends to use to purchase additional weapons and ammunition.

The report further claimed that at least 10 bandit commanders, popularly known as Kachallas, were buried in Kizara village, west of Tsafe, following recent military operations, while several others reportedly sustained injuries.

Makama also quoted residents familiar with the activities of the armed groups as saying the bandits had complained about increasing difficulty in rustling livestock within Zamfara because of sustained military operations.

“Bandits, who return from raids have been telling their local contacts that they now travel much farther into remote areas in search of livestock, claiming that there are few animals left to rustle within Zamfara due to sustained security operations and repeated cattle theft,” the report stated.

The report noted that the claims by the residents could not be independently verified.

However, according to Makama, security sources said they were monitoring reports of the new leadership structure and the alleged collection of levies from rural communities as part of ongoing intelligence efforts aimed at disrupting the group’s logistics and financing network.

The report added that recent operations under Operation FANSAN YAMMA have intensified pressure on bandit groups across Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto states, resulting in the reported elimination of several notorious commanders and the disruption of their operational bases.

Operatives of the Jigawa State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have arrested a 46-year-old man for allegedly vandalising the perimeter fence of the Great Green Wall at the Gabasmari Forest Reserve in Birniwa Local Government Area of the state.

The arrest followed intelligence reports of the vandalism of government property across the state. Several government facilities, including roofing sheets, doors and windows, were reportedly removed by criminals.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the NSCDC Jigawa State Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASC Badruddeen Tijjani, the command said one of the suspects, Abdullahi Muhammad of Kasaaga Village in Guri Local Government Area, was arrested on Saturday at about 11:50 am by vigilant NSCDC operatives.

“The successful operation followed credible information and the collaborative efforts of a local farmer, Amadu, and the Birniwa Zonal Forestry Officer, Zakar Yau Muhammad, whose prompt action led to the suspect’s apprehension,” he said.

According to the statement, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly vandalised approximately 10 metres of fencing wire protecting the Gabasmari Forest Reserve, adding that the damaged fence, constructed about seven years ago, forms part of a major environmental protection project.

It said the state commandant, CC Muhammad Ingawa, condemned the recent surge in vandalism and warned criminals in the state to desist or face severe punishment, stressing that operatives of the corps were strategically deployed across different locations to prevent criminal activities.