Gunmen Kill Plateau Cleric at Home, Tensions Erupt as Youths Torch Fulani Settlement

• Reverend Father Mimang Lekyil was shot dead in his home in Kwakas, Plateau State, during a night attack by suspected kidnappers
• Two women abducted during the assault were later rescued by local vigilantes who mobilized to pursue the attackers
• The killing sparked reprisal violence, with homes in a nearby Fulani settlement burned down amid unverified accusations

Gunmen stormed Kwakas community in Mushere District of Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State, on Sunday night, killing a Catholic priest identified as Reverend Father Mimang Lekyil.

The attack, which occurred around 9 p.m., has sparked unrest in the area, with properties set ablaze in its aftermath.

Vigilantes rescue abducted women

Eyewitnesses from the village said the assailants broke into the reverend’s home while the household was settling in for the night.

According to locals, the attackers initially abducted two women from the premises but were intercepted by youths and vigilantes from the community, who managed to rescue the victims during a chase.

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Confirming the incident, Bishop Ayuba Matawal, a Bokkos resident, explained:

“Yes, they shot the reverend father. The two women in the house were kidnapped but were later rescued by residents of the area who mobilised to trail the assailants. It is believed that they came to kidnap the reverend since they went with the women.”

The clergyman, said to be in his seventies, was confirmed dead and his body has since been moved to Luna Mortuary in Bokkos.

The incident has since led to retaliatory actions in nearby Dingak village, a Fulani settlement within the Mushere Central area.

Youths launch reprisal attack

In what appears to be a reprisal, a number of houses belonging to members of the herding community were torched by enraged youths.

Saeed Adamu, a youth leader representing the Fulani community in Bokkos, expressed dismay over the destruction of homes. He acknowledged the killing of the reverend but argued that no evidence has been presented linking the crime to Fulani residents.

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“We heard about the story of the killing of the Reverend but there has been no investigation indicating the killing was committed by our members. This is how things are done. We call on the security agencies to investigate the matter,” Adamu stated.

He also urged security forces to ensure that those responsible for both the killing and the arson are identified and prosecuted.

As of press time, the military unit responsible for maintaining peace in the region, Operation Safe Haven, had not issued an official statement. Efforts to reach the unit's spokesperson, Major Samson Zhakom, were unsuccessful.

The killing of Reverend Lekyil is the latest in a series of violent incidents that have plagued communities in Plateau State, often inflaming ethnic and religious tensions across the region. Residents now fear a fresh wave of reprisals if urgent security interventions are not carried out.

Residents flee Kwara homes

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a deadly communal clash over a disputed cashew farm had left at least two people dead and several others injured in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.

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The violent confrontation, which erupted on Friday between residents of Osi and Ẹpẹ-Opin communities, has forced many locals to flee their homes.

Source: Legit.ng