More than 300 residents flee after gunmen raid Plateau villages, destroying barns and homes, with security agencies deployed.
Tension has gripped Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State after gunmen launched coordinated attacks on seven farming communities, leaving more than 300 people displaced and over 30 houses destroyed.
The assaults, which occurred across villages in the Doemak District, spared no barns or farmlands, compounding the fears of food shortages in the largely agrarian communities.
Although no deaths were recorded in the latest round of violence, the destruction of homes and food barns has thrown many families into uncertainty.
Survivors, including women and children, have been forced to seek refuge in neighboring villages, while others remain in makeshift shelters, awaiting government intervention.
The attacks struck just six days after a separate incident in Fili village, also in the Doemak District, where four herders were killed and another injured while grazing livestock.
Residents fear that the new wave of assaults may be linked to escalating reprisal clashes between farming and herding communities in the area.
Confirming the development, the spokesman of Qua’an Pan Local Government Council, Danaan Cletus Sylvanus, said the Council Chairman, Hon. Christopher Manship, had swiftly visited the affected communities to commiserate with victims and assess the extent of the damage.
According to Sylvanus, Manship convened a high-level stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, bringing together community leaders, religious figures, and development associations.
At the meeting, the chairman appealed for vigilance and unity, stressing the need to collectively tackle the recurrent violence.
“The Executive Chairman of Qua’an Pan Local Government Area, Hon. Christopher Manship, deeply lamented the attacks and urged traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community development associations to work hand in hand with the council to find a lasting solution to the insecurity,” Sylvanus stated.
He disclosed that Manship had already mobilized security operatives to the hotspots to restore calm and prevent further assaults.
“We are working tirelessly with the relevant security agencies to bring the situation under control. Our goal is to restore peace, rebuild trust, and return normalcy to the communities,” he assured.
Beyond security measures, the council has also initiated peacebuilding dialogues. Manship separately met with religious and traditional leaders, emphasizing tolerance and peaceful coexistence among residents regardless of ethnic or religious identity.
He reminded them that lasting peace could only be achieved if communities resisted the temptation to retaliate and instead embraced dialogue.
Meanwhile, eyewitnesses and community members described the attacks as devastating.
Farmlands and food stores that families had prepared for the upcoming harvest were destroyed, raising concerns of looming hunger.
Many displaced residents are said to be sheltering with relatives in nearby villages, while others await humanitarian relief from government and aid organizations.
Security agencies have since been deployed to patrol the affected communities, though tension remains high.
Analysts say the incident underscores the fragile nature of security in Plateau State and the broader Middle Belt, where recurring clashes between farmers and herders continue to fuel cycles of violence.
Local authorities are now appealing to both state and federal governments for additional support, not only in terms of security reinforcement but also relief materials for the displaced.
Residents, on their part, continue to hope that the renewed intervention will bring lasting peace to Qua’an Pan and prevent the violence from spiraling into larger communal conflict.