Twenty security operatives have been reportedly killed in an ambush by heavily armed terrorists in Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau state.
The incident, according to a statement on Saturday by the Kanam Development Association (KADA), occurred during a joint patrol in Wanka and the surrounding communities of Garga area in Kanam LGA.
The statement signed by the Chairman of KADA, Garba Aliyu and the Secretary, Shehu Kanam, said the victims included 12 security personnel, among them two senior military officers, and eight vigilante members.
According to the association, the patrol team was assisting security forces to protect the communities.
The statement added that the patrol team, made up of military personnel and local vigilantes, was travelling in two vehicles on routine security operations across the communities of Garga, Kyaram, and Gyambau when they were suddenly ambushed by hundreds of heavily armed terrorists on their way to Wanka community at about 2:00 p.m. on Friday.
“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 read.
KADA described the deaths of the security personnel and vigilantes as “deeply painful and unacceptable,” noting that the fallen operatives died while defending rural communities that have long faced repeated attacks.
The association added that after the ambush, the terrorists reportedly stormed the Kyaram community, where they looted properties worth millions of naira and rustled a large number of cattle belonging to residents.
It warned that the incident was not isolated, stressing that communities around Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau, and neighbouring settlements located along the borders of Plateau, Taraba, and Bauchi states had endured persistent attacks, kidnappings, and cattle rustling for the past three to four years.
The association said it had previously issued several appeals to authorities over the deteriorating security situation but lamented that the crisis has continued to escalate.
The group called on the local, state, and federal governments to urgently intervene to prevent further bloodshed in the affected communities.
KADA called the immediate deployment of additional military and security personnel to Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau, Wanka, and neighbouring communities, as well as the establishment of a permanent security presence in the border areas.
It also called for coordinated security operations along the Plateau–Taraba–Bauchi border corridor, which it said terrorists exploit due to the difficult terrain.
It appealed for relief support for affected residents, many of whom have reportedly lost homes, livestock, and other sources of livelihood as a result of the attacks.
“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 the development of our nation. They cannot and must not be abandoned to the mercy of armed criminals,” the statement added.
Bandits kill 20 security operatives in Plateau
