Gunmen launched coordinated attacks across parts of central and southwestern Nigeria during New Year’s Eve celebrations, killing at least seven people in Plateau State, abducting a traditional ruler and his son in Kwara State, and setting a police station ablaze in Ondo State, deepening fears over worsening insecurity as 2026 began.
In Plateau State, assailants suspected to be armed Fulani militia struck the Bum community in Chugwi, Vwang District of Jos South Local Government Area late Wednesday night, killing at least seven residents, injuring others and burning homes as families marked crossover night.
The attack unfolded at about 11 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2025, as residents gathered to usher in the New Year, throwing the community into chaos and mourning, according to the Berom Youths Moulder-Association.
“While the world welcomed the New Year in celebration, residents of Bum community in Chugwi, Vwang District of Jos South Local Government Area, Plateau State, were plunged into mourning following a deadly attack by suspected armed Fulani militants/bandits,” said Rwang Tengwong, national publicity secretary of the Berom Youths Moulder-Association, in a statement Thursday.
Tengwong said seven bodies had been recovered by morning, adding that search-and-rescue operations were continuing and raising concerns that the death toll could rise. He said the attackers appeared to have exploited the festive atmosphere to carry out the assault, despite earlier security alerts warning that some communities in Jos South had been marked for possible attacks.
“Sadly, the Bum community has now fallen victim to this renewed wave of violence,” Tengwong said, describing the incident as part of a broader pattern of assaults on rural communities in Plateau State, particularly during festive periods.
Plateau has for years been a flashpoint for deadly violence linked to disputes over land, grazing routes and identity, with attacks often intensifying during holidays when communities gather in large numbers. Security analysts say the timing of the assault underscores persistent gaps in preventive deployment and early-response mechanisms despite repeated warnings from local groups.
Elsewhere, residents of Ipele in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State fled their homes in fear early Thursday after suspected terrorists attacked and burned down a police station, SaharaReporters reported. Video obtained by the outlet showed the station engulfed in flames, with vehicles inside the compound also set ablaze.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2026. As of the time of reporting, fatalities or injuries had not been independently confirmed. Some individuals believed to be police officers were later seen inspecting the ruins. Attempts to reach the Ondo State Police Command for comment were unsuccessful, SaharaReporters said.
Ondo State has previously suffered high-profile attacks, including the June 5, 2022, assault on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo that killed dozens during a Sunday service, an incident that continues to shape public anxiety in the region.
In a separate New Year’s Eve incident, gunmen abducted a traditional ruler in Kwara State, further highlighting the geographic spread of violent crime. Armed men stormed the palace in Aafin Ile-Ere, Ile-Ire district of Ifelodun Local Government Area, at about 8 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2026, abducting Oba S.Y. Olaonipekun and one of his sons, Olaolu, a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps, according to SaharaReporters.
During the raid, the attackers shot sporadically as they forced their way into the palace. The queen consort, Felicia Olaonipekun, was shot in the arm but was not taken away and was later rushed to hospital for treatment.
A palace eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attackers overpowered the palace with ease. “I noticed some strange movements outside around 8:00 p.m. and alerted those inside. We locked doors and switched off lights, but once they realized this, they started shooting,” the source said. “They demanded to see the Kabiyesi and later discovered Olaolu in hiding and seized him as well.”
At least 10 family members and visitors were inside the palace at the time, the source said, adding that the community’s vigilante unit, with only two members on night duty, was unable to confront the heavily armed assailants.
The abduction has revived memories of earlier kidnappings in Kwara South. SaharaReporters previously reported that the Ojibara of Bayagan Ile, Kamilu Salami, was released after spending 25 days in captivity, following the payment of a substantial ransom raised by community members.
Community spokesperson Ayinla Lawal said the monarch’s release came only after payments made in two installments, adding that neither local nor state authorities intervened during the ordeal. The kidnappers, he said, initially rejected a N10 million payment and later demanded an additional N15 million.
Security experts warn that the clustering of attacks across multiple states during the same holiday period points to a troubling normalization of violence timed to moments of reduced vigilance. They say the incidents underline the need for coordinated intelligence-sharing, stronger rural policing and sustained federal-state collaboration, particularly during festive seasons when communities are most vulnerable.
For residents of Bum, Ipele and Aafin Ile-Ere, the New Year began not with celebration but with grief, fear and renewed questions about the state’s ability to protect lives, property and traditional institutions.
SaharaReporters
