No fewer than 20 security operatives and vigilantes were killed after heavily armed bandits ambushed a joint patrol team in Wanka and surrounding communities in the Garga area of Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attack was disclosed by the Kanam Development Association in a statement signed by its Secretary, ND Shehu Kanam, and Chairman, Garba G. Aliyu, and issued on Saturday in Dengi.
According to the association, the victims included 12 security personnel—among them two senior military officers—and eight vigilante members assisting security forces in protecting the communities.
KADA said the joint patrol team, made up of military personnel and local vigilantes, was travelling in two vehicles during a routine operation across the communities of Garga, Kyaram and Gyambau when they were ambushed by hundreds of armed bandits around 2:00 p.m. on Friday while heading to Wanka.
“In the unfortunate exchange of gunfire that followed the ambush, our nation lost brave defenders who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty,” the statement said.
The association described the killings as “deeply painful and unacceptable,” noting that the victims died defending rural communities that have long been under threat.
It added that after the ambush, the attackers stormed Kyaram community, looting property worth millions of naira and rustling a large number of cattle belonging to residents.
KADA warned that the attack was not an isolated incident, stressing that communities around Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau and nearby settlements along the borders of Plateau State, Taraba State and Bauchi State have suffered persistent attacks, kidnappings and cattle rustling for the past three to four years.
The association said it had repeatedly alerted authorities to the worsening security situation but lamented that the crisis had continued to escalate.
It called on local, state and federal governments to urgently intervene by deploying additional security personnel to Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau, Wanka and neighbouring communities, and by establishing a permanent security presence in the border areas.
KADA also urged coordinated security operations along the Plateau–Taraba–Bauchi border corridor, which it said bandits often exploit due to the difficult terrain.
The group further appealed for relief support for affected residents who have lost homes, livestock and other sources of livelihood.
“The people of these communities are law-abiding citizens whose only desire is to live peacefully, farm their land, raise their families and contribute to national development. They cannot and must not be abandoned to the mercy of armed criminals,” the statement added.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from security authorities were unsuccessful, as both the military and the police had yet to respond to enquiries as of press time.
KADA also extended condolences to the Nigerian Armed Forces, families of the fallen soldiers and vigilantes, and affected communities, saying their sacrifice would not be forgotten.
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