Gunmen Attack Plateau Community On New Year’s Eve, Kill 7, Burn Houses

The attack occurred while residents were observing crossover night on December 31, 2025, to usher in the New Year, throwing the community into chaos and grief.

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani militia on Wednesday night attacked the Bum community in Chugwi, Vwang District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing at least seven persons, injuring several others and setting houses ablaze.

The attack occurred while residents were observing crossover night on December 31, 2025, to usher in the New Year, throwing the community into chaos and grief.

Confirming the incident in a statement on Thursday, the National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youths Moulder-Association (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, said the assailants exploited the New Year celebrations to launch the deadly assault.

“While the world welcomed the New Year in celebration, residents of Bum community in Chugwi, Vwang District of Jos South Local Government Area, Plateau State, were plunged into mourning following a deadly attack by suspected armed Fulani militants/bandits,” Tengwong said.

He disclosed that the attack took place at about 11:00 p.m. on December 31, 2025, barely minutes into the New Year, as residents were preparing to bid farewell to 2025 and welcome 2026.

“As of this morning, seven (7) corpses have been recovered, while search and rescue efforts are still ongoing, raising fears that the casualty figure may rise,” he said.

Tengwong lamented that the attack occurred despite prior security alerts indicating that some communities in Jos South Local Government Area had been marked for possible attacks, warning that the alerts were allegedly ignored by security agencies.

“Sadly, the Bum community has now fallen victim to this renewed wave of violence. This latest attack adds to the growing list of violent assaults on innocent rural communities in Plateau State, further deepening concerns over the safety of lives and property, especially during festive periods meant for peace and celebration.

“The Berom Youth Moulder-Association (BYM) is closely monitoring developments and will provide further updates as the situation unfolds,” he stated.

In a similar story, residents of Ipele community in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State were also thrown into panic on Thursday after suspected terrorists attacked and set a police station in the area ablaze.

SaharaReporters gathered that the attack occurred in the early hours of January 1, 2026, with the assailants targeting the police facility and burning it down during the assault.

However, the incident has forced many residents to flee their homes and go into hiding as fear spread across the community.

A video obtained by SaharaReporters showed the police station engulfed in flames, while several vehicles parked within the premises were also set ablaze.

As of the time of filing this report, SaharaReporters could not independently confirm whether there were fatalities or casualties resulting from the attack.

However, some individuals believed to be police officers were later seen at the scene, assessing the damage and checking the station in the aftermath of the incident.

Efforts to reach the Ondo State Police Command for official comments on the attack were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.

This is not the first time Ondo State has experienced a terrorist attack.

On June 5, 2022, there was a horrific terrorist assault on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, during Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s tenure.