By Palang Paul
Barely days after at least seven miners were killed on 22 January 2026 in a nearby area of Kuru, another wave of fear gripped Kaydawon community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State Nigeria on Saturday morning the 24th January 2026, as Fulani armed men opened fire near a popular mining site, forcing miners and residents to flee for their lives.
The attack, which occurred at about 8:00 a.m. near Kaydawon, close to NTV Gindin Akwati ward, is the latest episode in a region already traumatized by years of violence, displacement, and economic destruction by Fulani Ethnic Militias.
For Kaydawon and surrounding communities—many of which have been forcibly displaced from their ancestral homes for over 15 years—artisanal mining has become a fragile lifeline. With farmlands lost and livelihoods destroyed, the mining site represents survival for families struggling under deepening poverty and insecurity.
Witnesses said miners had just begun work when sudden gunshots shattered the morning calm, triggering panic.
“They were shooting from the top of the hill and coming down gradually. Everybody had to run immediately,” Nanpet David a volunteer with the International Committee on Nigeria ICON told The Nigeria Times reporters.
According to local accounts, the attackers positioned themselves strategically on a nearby hill overlooking the site, firing sporadically as they advanced. Residents believe the objective was not immediate confrontation but to terrorize people into abandoning the area.
The incident highlights a disturbing and emerging trend in Plateau State: mining sites are increasingly becoming targeted spaces, particularly in Christian communities, where armed Fulani militias are attacking with impunity. As farming has become too dangerous, many displaced residents turned to mining—only to find that even these spaces are no longer safe.
Community members also pointed to a troubling detail that morning: the unusual absence of Fulani miners who typically work alongside locals at the site. While no official conclusion has been drawn, the absence fueled fear and suspicion among residents already on edge.
Though this was the first attack at this specific mining location, locals fear it marks the beginning of a broader strategy—to drive indigenous communities away, seize control of mineral-rich areas, and further cripple already struggling populations. Similar patterns, residents say, have been witnessed in other parts of the Nigeria Middle Belt.
Security operatives later arrived at the scene, preventing further escalation. No casualties were reported during this incident, and calm was eventually restored. Yet for residents, the psychological damage remains profound.
“This is not just about gunshots,” Nanpet said. “It is about being hunted out of every means of survival—our homes, our farms, and now our mining sites.”
Human rights observers warn that the attack fits into a wider pattern of violence, economic sabotage, and forced displacement, leaving women, children, and entire families without food, income, or protection.
Residents are now calling for more than temporary security deployments. They are urging the government to address the root causes of insecurity, end impunity for attackers, and guarantee safe access to livelihoods for communities that have already lost too much.
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