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51 Feared Dead as Armed Men Invade Irigwe Community in Plateau
No fewer than 51 people have been confirmed dead following a deadly midnight attack on Sunday, April 14, in Zikke hamlet, Kimakpa community, Kwall District of Irigwe Chiefdom, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The tragic assault, which left dozens of homes and properties in ruins, has plunged the community into mourning and drawn renewed attention to the region’s escalating insecurity.
The President of the Irigwe Youth Movement, Amb. Ezekiel Peter Bini, who also serves as the Chairman of the Coalition of Plateau Youth Ethnic Nationalities, confirmed the incident while speaking to MTB Blogs Reporter.
According to Bini, the attack occurred around midnight when armed assailants believed to be Fulani militia stormed the village in large numbers. “What we saw was tragic. An entire family of eight was massacred in one house. The situation is heartbreaking, and many houses have been reduced to rubble,” he said.
He added that despite previous peace pacts signed with Fulani communities, the agreements have failed to bring lasting peace. “We signed peace agreements, but they have proven worthless. The other side never kept their end of the deal,” Bini stated.
Hon. Eli Bako Ankala, a member representing Rukuba/Irigwe Constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly, also visited the affected area. Describing the attack as cowardly, Ankala emphasized the need for proactive security measures, especially at border areas. “We have consistently called on the state and federal governments to establish security outposts in vulnerable communities, but our appeals have not been met with action,” he said.
The lawmaker warned of the dangers of pushing communities to a breaking point, saying, “If people begin to seek retribution due to government inaction, the situation may spiral out of control.”
Mrs. Mary Dikva, National President of the Irigwe Women Wing, lamented the toll the recurring violence has taken on the community’s women and children. “We are tired. We have over 570 widows in this community because of these attacks. The government must act now, or this will not end,” she said emotionally.
A Community leader Davidson Mallison gave a grim account of the aftermath. “At the time I speak to you, we have recovered 51 bodies. We are still searching through the bushes. This is not just an attack—it is genocide, an attempt to wipe out the Irigwe people,” he said.
Mallison reiterated that the community had no recent clashes with the Fulani and believes the attacks are part of a long-term plan to displace and take over Irigwe land. “There are no Fulani residents in our community anymore. They left, yet they keep returning to attack us,” he said.
This latest attack comes just two weeks after over 60 people were killed in a similar assault in Bokkos Local Government Area, also in Plateau State, drawing fresh concerns about the deteriorating security situation in the region.
As the community buries its dead and counts its losses, calls for justice and urgent government intervention continue to mount.
— Matthew Tegha Reporting from Plateau State
The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest of a 22-year-old man, Umar Ibrahim Gandi Maradun, over a viral video allegedly showing him calling for the use of AK-47 rifles to kill Christians in Enugu and Plateau states.
Politics Nigeria reports that the suspect, a native of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, was arrested for investigation after the video circulated on social media and sparked concerns over religiously motivated violence.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the Force Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Ani Iniedu, said the Zamfara State Police Command had activated its intelligence resources to identify those involved in the incident.
The police also confirmed that the command had engaged the leadership of Jama’atu Izalatil Bidi’a Wa’ikamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS) at the national and state levels following the emergence of the video.
According to the police, the organisation disassociated itself from the alleged conduct and handed the suspect over to the authorities for investigation.
The video reportedly showed the suspect wearing JIBWIS uniform and appearing alongside pupils from two Islamic schools in Maradun: Nurul Islam Islamiya and Akidatul Sahiha Islamiya.
Preliminary findings by the Zamfara State Police Command indicated that the video was recorded on Friday, October 23, 2026, while the suspect was reportedly on his way to Aliyu Ibn Abi Thalib Mosque, where he and others allegedly provided security during Friday prayers and preaching.
The suspect was born on September 15, 2004. He reportedly attended Mualledi Model Primary School and Government Day Secondary School, both in Maradun.
He also reportedly joined JIBWIS in 2025 and recently gained admission to study Mass Communication at Zamfara State University, Talata Mafara.
The police said a comprehensive investigation had commenced and that the suspect would be charged before a competent court if sufficient evidence established an offence under applicable law.
Earlier, the Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Bello, said the investigation would consider allegations of incitement to violence, disturbance of public peace and criminal intimidation under Sections 77, 78 and 380(b) of the Penal Code Law applicable in the state, subject to the evidence gathered and applicable law.
The police also condemned statements capable of promoting religious hatred, threatening community safety or undermining peaceful coexistence.
“The Zamfara State Police Command remains resolute in its duty to uphold the law, protect lives and property, defend the rights of all citizens without discrimination, and work with relevant stakeholders to sustain peace and security throughout Zamfara State,” the commissioner said.
The development comes as JIBWIS has publicly distanced itself from the video and condemned calls for violence against non-Muslims.
The group’s National Publicity Secretary, Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad Ashiru, stated this in a statement issued at its headquarters in Jos on Tuesday.
Ashiru said the organisation had yet to establish the authenticity of the video but maintained that its position against violence was clear.
“We are yet to confirm whether the video is authentic, but our position against violence remains clear,” he said.
He added that JIBWIS, under the leadership of Ash-Sheikh Muhammad Sani Yahaya Jingir, would not support calls to attack or kill anyone because of their religious affiliation.
Ashiru said banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and Boko Haram attacks were already affecting communities across the country, warning that statements promoting violence could heighten tensions and threaten peaceful coexistence.
“We would not support any call capable of disturbing the peace of Nigeria, as such comments are capable of inciting violence and creating unnecessary tension among Nigerians,” he said.
The JIBWIS spokesperson stressed that anyone making such statements in the organisation’s name did not represent its position.
He urged security agencies to investigate the video, establish its authenticity and identify those responsible, adding that anyone found culpable should face the law after a proper investigation.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has urged members of the public to remain calm, avoid circulating unverified information and refrain from sharing the video in ways that could escalate religious tensions.
The Force reiterated its commitment to protecting Nigerians irrespective of religious affiliation and taking lawful action against conduct capable of inciting hatred or threatening public peace.
Senator Victor Umeh has accused Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo of acting out of envy and hatred towards presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Mr Peter Obi.
Umeh claimed that Soludo was trying to surpass Obi's political record, insisting that the former Anambra governor remained more popular than his successor in the state and across Nigeria.
The senator made the remarks on Tuesday while fielding questions on Channels Television's Politics Today programme.
Umeh, who said he attended the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, alongside Obi and Soludo between 1980 and 1984, suggested that their shared academic background might have contributed to what he described as peer envy.
He said, “He (Peter Obi) cannot be drawn to what is called the peer envy and hate. You know, all of us were in the university together. Myself, Soludo, Peter Obi. We were at the University of Nigeria from 1980 to 1984, all of us graduated the same day.
“So sometimes when you see people talk, they talk out of maybe peer envy. He (Soludo) is running after Peter Obi's record.”
The senator further argued that Obi remained more popular than Soludo despite the latter's position as governor of Anambra State.
“Whether he likes it or not, today, no matter what Soludo does, Peter Obi will continue to be more popular than him, both in Nigeria and in Anambra State. Go there and see,” Umeh added.
Obi served as governor of Anambra State from 2006 to 2014. Soludo became governor in 2022.
‘Envy, hate behind Soludo’s attacks on Peter Obi’ – Senator Umeh
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