Gunmen on Saturday night attacked Wereng-camp and Kum villages in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing nine members of the family of 40-year-old Pam Yohanna, who also sustained life-threatening injuries.

The attack began at about 11:00 p.m. on Saturday and lasted for more than an hour into the early hours of Sunday, according to a statement sent to the Peoples Gazette by Rwang Tengwong, the spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders Association.

Mr Tengwong alleged that armed bandits from the Fass area around the Jol community carried out the attack.

He identified the victims as Celina James, 38; Yohanna James, 21; Janet Yohanna, 18; three-month-old Jennifer Yohanna; Sele James, 18; Melody James, 16; Reto James, 10; Endurance James, 8; and Peace James, 3.

According to him, this latest massacre is yet another painful reminder of the recurring attacks that continue to claim the lives of innocent civilians across Plateau State and other parts of North-Central Nigeria. 

“Entire families have been wiped out, villages repeatedly invaded, homes destroyed, and thousands of residents displaced from their ancestral communities,” he said.

The group expressed deep concern over the sustained pattern of violent attacks targeting predominantly Christian farming communities. 

“The frequency of these attacks, the scale of civilian casualties, and the destruction of homes and livelihoods underscore the urgent need for stronger protection of vulnerable communities and meaningful accountability for those responsible.

“We call on the federal government of Nigeria to intensify efforts to protect vulnerable communities, dismantle terrorist hideouts, apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators of these attacks, and ensure justice for victims and their families,” he added.

The group further urged the government to provide adequate humanitarian assistance and support for displaced persons whose lives have been devastated by the violence.

Mr Tengwong said the continued bloodshed in Plateau State must not be ignored, adding that innocent men, women and children deserve protection, justice and lasting peace.

The Plateau State police spokesman, Alfred Alabo, was not available for comment. SMS sent to him remained unanswered as of press time.

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, on Sunday said President Bola Tinubu’s administration is struggling under the weight of its failures.

ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the Tinubu administration has failed in the areas of security, economy, healthcare, education and virtually every measure of human dignity.

Posting on X, Abdullahi said the current administration which has shown much disdain for Nigerians, has extended the same gesture to city abroad in search of better opportunities.

He wrote: “It is sad that this government, which has shown such disdain for everyday Nigerians that are struggling under the weight of its failures, has now chosen to extend that same disregard to honest Nigerians who have japa’d in search of better opportunities.

“A government that has failed, and continues to fail, on security, the economy, healthcare, education, and virtually every measure of human dignity has no business lying to Nigerians and the world that things are better for the Nigerians in Nigeria, than they are for Nigerians abroad.

“Until this government can guarantee safety, create jobs, restore economic stability, and inspire confidence at home, it should either fix Nigeria or stop lecturing Nigerians who have simply done what the government itself has failed to do: secured a better future for themselves and their families.

“For perspective, and a little bit of respect, Nigeria’s total oil export earnings in 2025 were US$31.5 billion, while official diaspora remittances for the same year amounted to US$21.8 billion.”