At least 20 security operatives and local vigilantes were killed Friday afternoon when heavily armed bandits ambushed a joint patrol team in the Garga area of Kanam Local Government Area, Plateau State.
The victims included 12 security personnel, featuring two senior military captains, and eight vigilante members who were assisting formal forces. The patrol team was travelling in a two-vehicle convoy during a routine operation through the Garga, Kyaram, and Gyambau communities when they were intercepted by hundreds of gunmen.
The Kanam Development Association (KADA) confirmed the fatalities in a statement signed by its Secretary, ND Shehu Kanam, and Chairman, Garba G. Aliyu. The association described the loss as a "deeply painful and unacceptable" blow to the nation’s defence forces.
“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 KADA statement read. The group noted that the fallen operatives were specifically defending rural communities that have long been targets of persistent raids.
The violence did not end with the ambush. After the engagement, the bandits reportedly stormed the Kyaram community, where they looted properties valued at millions of naira and rustled a significant number of cattle.
The ambush followed an earlier confrontation on Friday morning where security forces had successfully neutralised several bandits. However, the gunmen reportedly regrouped in nearby bushes to launch the deadly retaliatory strike.
Local leaders have lamented the escalating crisis, noting that the area has become a volatile corridor for criminal activity. KADA has issued an urgent appeal to the federal and state governments for a coordinated security intervention along the Plateau–Taraba–Bauchi border to prevent further bloodshed.