In the early hours of April 13, 2025, the quiet hamlet of Zike, located in Bassa LGA, Plateau State, was rocked by a brutal overnight assault that left 49 people dead, several others injured, and homes burned to the ground.
The midnight attack caught residents off guard as gunfire erupted across the community. By morning, the scale of the destruction became clear, with dozens of bodies recovered and families left devastated.
Spokesperson of the Irigwe Development Association (IDA) Sam Jugo, alleged that the attack was carried out by suspected Fulani militants. Jugo claimed that security agencies were alerted prior to the attack, but failed to act promptly, leaving the community vulnerable and unprotected. The incident follows a wave of violence that has claimed at least 75 lives in Irigwe communities since December 2024.
Concerns were raised about the non-deployment of surveillance drones in nearby Kwall despite intelligence of a possible attack.
In response, Plateau State Commissioner for Information, Joyce Ramnap, condemned the killings as a “deliberate attempt” to destabilize peace efforts in the region, reaffirming government resolve to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Meanwhile, in a related security operation, troops from the 3 Division and Operation SAFE HAVEN rescued 16 kidnapped passengers on the Jos–Mangu Road after discovering an abandoned vehicle on the same night.
