NDING FAN, PLATEAU STATE – In the hills of Barkin Ladi, grief no longer has a quiet place to rest. On Wednesday afternoon, a community already shattered by the overnight massacre of an entire family found themselves running for their lives as the very men who killed their loved ones returned to haunt their funeral.
Ambush from the Heights
The residents of Nding Fan District had gathered under a heavy cloud of sorrow to perform the final rites for seven family members—including a nine-year-old boy and four women—who were gunned down in their compound just 24 hours earlier. As the mourners began digging the mass grave, they were unaware that they were being watched.
Assailants positioned on the surrounding hills suddenly descended, opening fire on the crowd. What was supposed to be a dignified farewell dissolved into a frantic struggle for survival.
A Burial Interrupted
“The mourners had barely dug a shallow grave when the attackers struck,” recounted Masara Kim, a journalist who witnessed the chaos. Under the crackle of gunfire, the traditional rituals were abandoned. Families were forced to hurriedly dump the bodies into the unfinished earth and flee into the bushes to avoid becoming the next victims.
Eyewitnesses described a massive, simultaneous attack spanning at least five nearby communities, suggesting a coordinated offensive designed to maximize terror. Right before the eyes of those present, the cycle of violence claimed another life as at least one man was seen falling to the gunmen’s bullets during the retreat.
A State in Mourning and Rage
This latest atrocity has brought the fragile peace in Plateau State to a breaking point. The initial Tuesday night raid, described as a senseless slaughter of a family seated in front of their home, had already sparked widespread condemnation.
Commissioner of Police Bassey Ewah has deployed additional tactical teams and mobile units to Barkin Ladi, but for the people of Nding Fan, the presence of uniforms provides little comfort. The hills that once sheltered them have become a vantage point for their executioners.
As the sun sets over Plateau today, seven bodies lie in a shallow, rushed grave, and a community remains in hiding—unable to even bury their dead in peace.
