The assault, which occurred at about 7:15pm, shattered what had been a calm evening at the local hangout, where residents had gathered to unwind at the close of the weekend.
Gunmen on Sunday evening stormed a popular relaxation spot in Doruwa Babuje community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing no fewer than nine people in what residents described as a brazen and calculated attack.
The assault, which occurred at about 7:15pm, shattered what had been a calm evening at the local hangout, where residents had gathered to unwind at the close of the weekend.
Witnesses said the attackers opened fire, sending people scrambling for safety as confusion and panic engulfed the area.
The latest killings have deepened fear across Barkin Ladi, a locality within Plateau State that has witnessed recurring bouts of violence in recent years.
For many residents, the choice of a relaxation spot as a target underscores what they see as a troubling escalation — an attack not just on individuals, but on communal life itself.
Earlier on Monday, SaharaReporters reported that no fewer than 10 residents were killed in communities in Plateau State, barely 24 hours after soldiers imposed a curfew on a troubled village in the state on Sunday.
The fresh wave of violence has stirred outrage, anger and deep frustration among locals, who allege a pattern of coordinated attacks by armed herdsmen and what they describe as a propaganda machine aimed at shifting blame onto their communities.
Residents who spoke in the aftermath of the killings accused the attackers of adopting a calculated strategy, grazing cattle on farmlands, poisoning their own cows, alleging ambushes by natives, and using such claims to justify retaliatory assaults.
“They will come with their cows, graze on farmland, poison their cows and allege that we are the ones killing their people by laying ambush, and simply shift the blame on us and come with this terror attack on us,” one distraught resident said.
On Saturday, security forces imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the affected village following rising tension.
However, by Sunday morning, 10 residents had been killed in what locals described as coordinated night raids.
Families mourned their dead as community leaders questioned the effectiveness of the security measures, especially as the attackers struck again at a relaxation spot later that same day.
A representative of the affected residents, who spoke passionately over the killings in a video posted online by cyber journalist, Ozor Ndi Ozor, accused the authorities of failing to designate the attackers as terrorists, despite what he described as clear evidence of organised violence.
He further accused Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) of supporting those responsible for the killings.
“So, this is another round of terrorism and we want the security to have it on record that our lives are not to be killed by so-called Fulani, whom as far as we are concerned, based on their modus operandi on the Plateau and what happened here,” he said.
“These are terrorists. These are terrorists and it must be admitted that the Fulani that are killing us are terrorists.”
He continued: “And of course, we are aware that there is a frame report that they alleged that some people did cattle rustling and that they poisoned some cows, to justify these killings.”
The visibly angry spokesman insisted that allegations of cattle poisoning were being weaponised to justify violence.
“Allah, we’ll not take it. If Fulani (herdsmen) are not designated as terrorists, if Fulani are not stopped from grazing on our land, but let it know that nobody should come and arrest anybody.”
According to him, the attackers operate with a familiar pattern.
“You know, the terrorists are there, they are killing people, they come with their cows, graze on farmland, poison their cows, and allege that we are the ones killing their people by laying ambush and simply, you know, shift the blame on us and come with this terror attack on us,” he said.
He warned that the community had been pushed to its breaking point.
“We have been pushed to the wall,” he said.
“Is it good to be killing Plateau people like this? Is it good to be killing Nigerians like this, and the terrorists are there moving freely?”
This development comes amid growing concerns on insecurity in Nigeria.
Earlier, Amnesty International warned that Nigeria’s deepening insecurity is “getting out of hand” following a deadly attack on Gwana district in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State, an assault that left families shattered, homes deserted and dozens of residents missing.
In a statement shared via X on Monday, February 23, 2026, the organisation described the scale and brutality of the violence, saying: “The coordinated attack by gunmen that invaded Gwana district in Alkaleri LGA of Bauchi state leading to the killing of at least 4 persons and abduction of dozens in the evening of Friday had also triggered mass displacement. Unspecified number of women and girls have also been abducted.”
The attack, which occurred as villagers were gathered to break their fast during Ramadan, has intensified fears that rural communities are increasingly exposed and unprotected.
What should have been a sacred moment of prayer and reflection quickly turned into chaos as gunmen stormed the district, shooting and abducting residents.
Amnesty International did not mince words in its condemnation, stating: “The attack is vicious and demonstrate a contemptible disregard for human life.” The group linked the incident to what it described as a growing pattern of unchecked violence across vulnerable communities.
