At least 70 members of a local vigilance group have reportedly lost their lives following a brutal ambush by gunmen in the Bunyun community of Kanam Local Government Area (LGA), Plateau State. The tragic incident took place on Monday around 2 PM.

Aliyu Baffa, the chairman of the vigilance group in the adjacent Kukawa community, described the massacre as taking place merely a kilometer from Kukawa town. It occurred when bandits attacked the vigilantes who were en route to their hideout in the government reserve forest, locally known as Madam Forest.

Baffa recounted that at around 1:30 AM, he began hearing gunfire, initially leading residents to speculate about a possible armed robbery. However, he soon learned that the gunshots were fired by vigilantes who had arrived from Dogon Ruwan Safiyo, aiming to confront bandits in their forest hideouts.

“Unfortunately, to our surprise, the vigilantes began to turn against innocent residents,” Baffa reported. “They vandalized shops, looted over 150 phones, and seized nearly 30 motorcycles from local residents, claiming they would use them to access the forest.”

Baffa recounted that the vigilantes accused community members of harboring criminals, despite assurances from residents that the bandits were located in the forest area. The vigilantes proceeded to the forest; however, just 20 minutes later, gunshots signaled a clash between the two groups.

Shortly thereafter, Baffa noted that some vigilantes began retreating, exclaiming that they were overpowered by the bandits. In the aftermath, Baffa reported the incident to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and other security forces in the area.

He confirmed that “more than 70 vigilantes were killed” in the ambush, with fears that more bodies may still be discovered in the bush. “We have buried more than 60 in Kukawa alone,” he stated, adding a solemn note that additional casualties might be uncovered in both camps as the situation unfolds.