Gunmen kill two at Plateau mining site Politics

Gunmen kill two at Plateau mining site

By Golok Nanmwa, Jos

Gunmen have killed two persons at a mining site in Burdinga, Gashish District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM) has confirmed.

The victims, identified as Goodluck Bulus and Emmanuel Monday, both in their mid-20s, were reportedly killed on Friday, in an attack that has renewed concerns over persistent insecurity in the area.

Our correspondent gathered that the gunmen stormed the mining site at about 6pm and opened fire on the miners, killing the two young men.

The National Publicity Secretary of BYM, Rwang Tengwong, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, condemned the killings and called on the Plateau State Government and security agencies to take urgent action.

In a statement, Tengwong said, “The Berom Youth Moulders Association, under the leadership of its National President, Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, strongly condemns the killing of two young men at a mining site in Burdinga, Gashish District, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.”

He said, “The victims, identified as Goodluck Bulus and Emmanuel Monday, both in their mid-20s, represent yet another painful loss of young lives in a community already burdened by years of insecurity.”

The BYM spokesman said the killing was particularly heartbreaking because Goodluck’s father was reportedly killed in an attack more than a decade ago.

“More heartbreaking is the report that Goodluck’s father was killed in an attack by Fulani herdsmen more than a decade ago,” he said.

The association described the killings in the state by gunmen as a painful reminder of the human cost of insecurity, saying the incidents had left families devastated and communities living in fear.

“These are not mere statistics; they are human lives cut short, families shattered, and communities left in fear,” Tengwong said.

He called on the Plateau State Government and relevant security agencies to investigate the killings and ensure that those responsible were arrested and prosecuted.

“We therefore call on the Plateau State Government and relevant security agencies to urgently investigate these killings, apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators, strengthen security surveillance around mining sites and vulnerable communities, and establish effective measures to protect residents and commuters,” he said.

The BYM spokesman also called for sustained security operations and intelligence-driven interventions to prevent further attacks, abductions and killings across the state.

“We also demand sustained security operations and intelligence-driven interventions to prevent further attacks, abductions and killings across Plateau State,” he said.

He added, “The continued loss of innocent lives must not become normalised. The people deserve protection, the victims deserve justice, and the perpetrators must be held accountable.”