Plateau Killings: The Night the Badung Family Lost Everything

An elderly woman and her middle-aged nephew. Two members of the same family, shot dead in the night in their own community.

That was the reality in Kogot village, Plateau State, on Monday — one more night of terror in a state that has become very familiar with this kind of pain.

The Attack at Night

According to community members, armed men came in the late hours, around 11 p.m., and opened fire in Kogot village in Jos South Local Government Area. Ngo Shettu Badung, 78, and Danjuma Badung, 52, did not survive. Other residents fled into the darkness, terrified.

Jerry Badung, a witness who spoke to reporters, described the chaos. People started running when the shots rang out, he said. Nobody knew what was happening or where was safe.

A Pattern That Won’t Stop

This attack did not happen in isolation. Since President Tinubu visited Plateau State on April 3, 2026 and told residents that the killings would stop, security experts have counted no fewer than 14 separate attacks across the state, leaving more than 50 people dead. That promise, it seems, has been very hard to keep.

Just days before Monday’s attack, gunmen had already killed 12 people across Riyom and Bassa local government areas between May 8 and 9. Mining sites, farming communities, family homes — no space appears safe.

Troops on the Ground, But Not Enough

The military has deployed forces under Operation Enduring Peace and says patrols have been intensified. Troops have responded to several incidents and recovered bodies. Still, the attacks keep coming.

For the people of Plateau, the question is no longer whether the government cares. It is whether care alone can stop the guns.