Insecurity in Plateau State has deepened with the killing of a traditional ruler and the abduction of another within one week.
Gunmen on the night of Sunday, September 21, 2025, stormed Birbyang Ward in Kantana Area, where they abducted the District Head of Birbyang, Alhaji Zubairu Usman Garba.
His kidnap comes days after the Village Head of Shuwaka in Kyaram District, Garga Area, was seized and later murdered by his captors despite the payment of millions of naira as ransom.
Community leader Tarus Salim Dugub, in a statement issued in Jos on Monday, September 22, 2025, warned that the people of Jhar Chiefdom were facing what he described as a “coordinated onslaught” by armed groups.
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“What began as isolated attacks has now transformed into a full-scale siege by bloodthirsty bandits. Just last night, they invaded Birbyang Ward, kidnapping the District Head. This tragic development makes it clear that the attackers are shifting their operations from Garga Area to Kantana Area,” Dugub said.
He lamented that within a week, the community lost two respected traditional rulers, stressing that the killing of the Shuwaka monarch after ransom payment had worsened fears among locals.
Residents are urging security agencies and the Plateau State Government to intensify patrols and safeguard vulnerable rural communities, particularly traditional rulers who have increasingly become targets of violent attacks.