Plateau Killings: Gunmen Used Drones Before Attack, Community Leader Alleges

A community leader in Wereng-Camp, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, Mr. Cholom Dung, has alleged that gunmen who killed nine members of the same family during Saturday night’s attack deployed drones to monitor the community before launching the assault.

Dung, who spoke with journalists, said residents are still mourning the victims of the attack, which lasted into the early hours of Sunday. He alleged that the attackers conducted aerial surveillance of the community before striking, making it difficult for residents to escape.

“They used drones to monitor the community before carrying out the attack. They knew where people were and how to operate. That is why we are appealing to the government to strengthen security in our communities,” he said.

The attack claimed the lives of nine members of the same family, identified as Celina James, 38; Yohanna James, 21; Janet Yohanna, 18; Jennifer Yohanna, a three-month-old baby; Sele James, 18; Melody James, 16; Reto James, 10; Endurance James, 8; and Peace James, 3.

Dung warned that unless urgent security measures are put in place, more residents could be forced to abandon their ancestral homes, as has happened in several communities affected by recurring attacks across Plateau State.

“We do not want this community to become deserted like many others. People want to remain on their ancestral land, but they can only do so if they are safe,” he said.

One of the survivors, Mrs. Kachalom Pam, recounted how she fled into the bush with her children when the gunmen invaded the community.

She said she and her children escaped unhurt, but her husband sustained gunshot wounds and is receiving treatment.

Meanwhile, the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM) condemned the attack, describing it as another tragic reminder of the persistent violence in Plateau State and other parts of North-Central Nigeria.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong, the association said the massacre underscored the urgent need for stronger protection of vulnerable communities and accountability for those behind the killings.

The group urged the federal government to intensify efforts to dismantle criminal hideouts, arrest and prosecute those responsible for the attacks, and provide humanitarian assistance to victims and displaced persons.

It also called on the international community, including the United Nations, the African Union, ECOWAS, the European Union, the United States and international human rights organisations, to pay closer attention to the worsening security and humanitarian situation in North-Central Nigeria.

Efforts to obtain an official response from the spokesman of the Plateau State Police Command, DSP Alfred Alabo, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.