By Kehinde Ayanboade
A 16-year-old student, David Chisom Amos, was among several victims abducted during an attack by gunmen on the main campus of Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin Ladi, on Wednesday 12, January 2022. The incident, which occurred in the late hours of the day, left the local community in disbelief which further highlighted the growing insecurity across Plateau State.
The attack happened less than 24 hours after another deadly incident in Ancha village, part of Irigwe Chiefdom in neighbouring Bassa Local Government Area, where at least 18 people were reportedly killed in a similarly coordinated onslaught.
Efforts by our correspondents to reach members of the Amos family for comment proved unsuccessful. Sources close to the family revealed they had gone into hiding and were overwhelmed with distress following David’s disappearance.
However, David Chisom Amos was later confirmed dead, a revelation that provoked grief and outrage within the community. According to local sources, on January 13 2022, a day after the attack, members of the community and local vigilante groups launched a coordinated search operation. It was during this effort that David’s lifeless body was discovered among others.
His parents were called to identify the remains, and were said to be devastated upon the confirmation. The news was publicly disclosed on January 14, 2022 by sources close to the family.
The confirmation of David’s death, after initial hopes of his safe return, intensified public anger and reignited calls for urgent action to address the region’s growing security crisis.
The frequency and brutality of attacks like these have raised serious concerns about the deteriorating security landscape in Plateau State and the broader Middle Belt region. Barkin Ladi and surrounding communities have become increasingly volatile, frequently targeted in raids attributed to bandits, armed herders, or unidentified militia groups.
Residents and community leaders have voiced growing fears that many of these attacks are ethnically and religiously motivated, as most of the targeted communities are predominantly Christian farming settlements.
The implications go beyond the immediate toll of deaths and abductions. These attacks have contributed to mass displacement, forcing thousands to flee their homes, often taking shelter in overcrowded camps or with relatives in safer regions. Children are being pulled out of school, livelihoods destroyed, and inter-community trust is eroding rapidly.
“This is not just about insecurity anymore. It is fast becoming an existential crisis for our communities,” said a local human rights advocate, who asked not to be named for safety reasons.
Many citizens now feel abandoned by the state, citing inadequate protection and delayed response by security forces during attacks.
In response to the escalating unrest, traditional leaders, civil society groups, and religious institutions have urged both state and federal authorities to take quick and decisive action. They are calling for a stronger security presence, improved intelligence gathering, justice for victims, and sustained peacebuilding initiatives to restore stability and hope to vulnerable communities like Barkin Ladi.
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