At least five people were reportedly killed after suspected Fulani militants carried out coordinated attacks in several communities across Plateau State on Friday night, August 28, 2026.
Conflict journalist Masara Kim Usman reported that the violence began with an ambush along the Barkin Ladi-Bokkos road, where gunmen abducted two pastors travelling from Jos to Bokkos.
One of the victims was identified as Pastor Hills Emmanuel, a Ghanaian-Nigerian cleric based in Bokkos. Emmanuel, a former Dunamis Church pastor and founder of The Wonderful Grace of God Evangelical Ministry, had reportedly been returning to Bokkos after attending a programme in Jos.
His colleague, Pastor Gabriel Joseph Dipak of Christ Apostolic Church, was also abducted during the incident.
According to reports, the attackers stopped a commercial minivan carrying nine passengers at a point along the Barkin Ladi-Bokkos road, reportedly less than a mile from military checkpoints located on both sides of the route. The two pastors were allegedly dragged from the vehicle, while the other passengers were dispossessed of their phones and cash before being released.
Police were later said to have recovered the belongings taken from the passengers at the scene.
Pastor Emmanuel's body was discovered early Saturday morning, August 29, near the location where he was abducted. Pastor Dipak, however, remained in captivity, with his family reportedly contacted by the abductors. The nature of any demands made by the kidnappers was not immediately known.
The attacks were not limited to the Barkin Ladi-Bokkos road. According to Usman's account, assailants also attacked Fang village in Riyom Local Government Area, Radura village in Barkin Ladi and Chakfem village in Mangu.
A woman was reportedly killed in Fang village, while two people lost their lives in Radura. At least one other person was injured during the attack on Chakfem village.
The attackers were also accused of setting houses ablaze during the coordinated assaults, which reportedly occurred within a few hours of one another on Friday night.
The incidents have heightened concerns over the worsening security situation in Plateau State, particularly in communities that have experienced repeated attacks and displacement.
The latest violence also adds to the growing number of deadly attacks and abductions reported across Nigeria's Middle Belt, where disputes involving communities, armed groups and competing land-use interests have continued to fuel insecurity.
Authorities had yet to provide a comprehensive official account of the attacks or confirm the identities and affiliations of the perpetrators at the time of reporting.