A deadly ambush on July 26, 2025, in Plateau State’s Bassa Local Government Area claimed 14 lives, intensifying concerns over escalating terror attacks in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
Gunmen, suspected to be Fulani militias, attacked a community market around 6:00 PM WAT, targeting traders and farmers, per local vigilante reports.
The assailants, numbering over 20, fled after a brief clash with security forces, leaving three injured. This follows a June attack killing 22 in Mangu, with the state recording 120 deaths in 2025, according to the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the violence, deploying 200 additional police and military personnel, but residents demand state police, citing federal response delays. The military’s Operation Safe Haven attributes the attacks to reprisals over land disputes, though community leaders argue it’s ethnic cleansing.
The narrative of escalating insecurity is alarming, with 2025 displacement figures nearing 200,000, and the government’s strategy under scrutiny for failing to curb the trend.
