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Armed group ambushes traders returning from weekly market, casualties include infants
Bokkos, Plateau State – Fourteen people died Thursday when gunmen ambushed a vehicle carrying traders home from Bokkos weekly market. A community leader confirmed the deaths Friday.
The attack happened around noon. Families and vendors were heading back from the busy marketplace in what’s become an increasingly dangerous part of Nigeria’s middle belt.
Farmasum Fuddang, who chairs the Bokkos Cultural Development Forum, said armed men intercepted the vehicle and opened fire on passengers. Just like that.
The Victims
“Victims included women and little babies,” Fuddang said. His words capture what appears to be a deliberate targeting of the most vulnerable people those just trying to make a living at the local market.
The vehicle was apparently traveling the main route between Bokkos town and surrounding villages when the attackers struck. Local sources suggest this may have been a planned ambush, though the exact circumstances remain unclear.
Another Security Crisis
This latest killing spree highlights what seems to be worsening security across Plateau State. For years now, ethnic and religious tensions have sparked deadly clashes in this part of Nigeria where Muslim-majority northern communities meet predominantly Christian southern populations.
Community leaders are once again calling for government help to protect civilians traveling to markets and farms. Similar attacks have reportedly happened monthly in the Bokkos area throughout 2025, according to residents. Whether authorities are listening is another question entirely.
Police Silence
Plateau State Police Command hasn’t responded to requests for comment about Thursday’s incident. No arrests announced. No suspects identified. No clear motives offered for the market route ambush.
This silence might add to growing pressure on Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s administration to do something – anything – about the state’s security mess.
The Bigger Picture
Bokkos Local Government Area has seen multiple deadly attacks this year. Farmers and traders seem to be favorite targets while traveling between communities. The area sits next to Kaduna State, which faces similar security headaches.
What’s driving this violence? Competition over land and resources between farming and herding communities appears to be intensifying across Nigeria’s middle belt states. But that explanation may feel cold comfort to families who just lost loved ones on a routine market trip.
By Abiodun Labi
