By Palang Paul
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani Militias have killed a young couple in Angwan Ishaku community of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area in Plateau State, Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
The victims, identified as 30-year-old Iliya Gyang and his 25-year-old pregnant wife, Grace Iliya, were attacked around 6 p.m. on Wednesday 13th May 2026, according to local sources.
Rwang Tengwong, spokesperson for the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), said the assailants arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire on residents before fleeing through a route leading to Fulani settlements in Fass along the Rakung-Sho road.
Mr Tengwong said the husband was shot while working outside their residence, while his wife died instantly at the scene after sustaining gunshot wounds. He added that Mr Gyang was rushed to hospital in critical condition but later died while receiving treatment.
“The deceased woman had only recently finished breastfeeding their one-year-old twin boys and was pregnant again,” Mr Tengwong said in a statement. “Their killing has left the twins orphaned and devastated the entire family.”
Two other residents reportedly sustained gunshot injuries during the attack, although details of their conditions were not immediately available.
The attack occurred barely a day after the Plateau State Security Council announced fresh measures aimed at tackling recurring violence and destruction of farmlands across affected communities in the state.
The BYM condemned the killings, describing the attack as “barbaric, wicked and inhuman,” and warned that residents of Barkin Ladi and surrounding communities continue to live under constant threat from armed attackers
The group also called on the Plateau State Government to provide urgent support for the orphaned twins left behind by the slain couple.
Efforts to obtain official police confirmation were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to the spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force in the state, Alfred Alabo, were not answered as of press time.
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