The victims were identified as Rev. Ayuba Choji, his wife Chundung Ayuba, and their two children, Cyril Ayuba and Endurance Ayuba
Gunmen have attacked Gako Village in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing a pastor and three members of his family in what residents described as a renewed wave of violence in the area.
The victims were identified as Rev. Ayuba Choji, his wife Chundung Ayuba, and their two children, Cyril Ayuba and Endurance Ayuba.
Sources in the community said the attackers stormed the village at about 11 p.m. on Sunday and opened fire indiscriminately, forcing residents to flee into nearby bushes for safety.
A resident, Martha Dalyop, told Vanguard that the gunmen shot sporadically as they invaded the community, leaving panic and confusion in their wake.
She said the repeated attacks had continued to instil fear in the area, making it difficult for residents to sleep in their homes or go about farming activities.
Confirming the incident, the Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youths Moulder Association, Rwang Tengwong, said the attack was part of a troubling pattern of violence in which communities, farmers, and local vigilantes were being targeted.
He added that the attackers often operate in groups, with some focusing on residents, others destroying farmlands, while additional members provide cover or block escape routes during such raids.
Tengwong also revealed that farmlands had been destroyed in the past 48 hours in Kassa, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, with crops such as maize, cabbage, and hot pepper affected.
The renewed violence has heightened tension in Riyom and neighbouring Barkin Ladi communities, with residents calling on security agencies to intensify efforts to stop the killings and destruction in Plateau State.
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