A pastor was shot and killed while on his way to a church service in Nigeria’s Plateau State on Sunday morning, one of at least nine people killed in a series of attacks in rural communities over the weekend. The pastor was walking to a church service at Dorowa Babuje in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area with a second victim when both were shot, Leadership reported.
Neither victim had been named publicly as of Sunday, according to National Accord. The killing added to rising tension in Kantoma and other communities in Barkin Ladi LGA. The pastor’s murder came hours after five passengers headed to work as day laborers were shot and killed Saturday night while traveling to Gana-Ropp, also in Barkin Ladi.
Ukasha Garaba, the Pyem Youth Leader in Gana-Ropp, was quoted as saying that the bodies had been recovered from the scene. “We evacuated the corpses of five persons from Gana-Ropp. They were passengers who were traveling as laborers,” he said. Garaba called the killings painful and urged authorities to act quickly to prevent further attacks on travelers.
Bulus Dabit, the national president of the Mwaghavul Development Association, an advocacy group for the Mwaghavul ethnic community, confirmed the deaths at Gana-Ropp and called on security operatives to pursue the attackers. Dabit said residents kept living in fear because the attacks had not let up, and called for those responsible to be arrested and prosecuted. He urged authorities to boost security in communities exposed to attack.
In Riyom LGA, attackers killed a woman at Baten Wereng late Saturday, and killed a second victim at Ratyidi in the Fan District. Rwang Tengwong, a spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders (BYM), a group representing the Berom ethnic community, condemned the attacks as worrisome and unacceptable. “We condemn these attacks in the strongest