At least five people, including a pastor, have been killed in a series of coordinated attacks carried out across communities in Plateau State.

The attacks occurred on the night of Friday, August 28, 2026, across parts of Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Mangu Local Government Areas, according to reports from local sources and conflict journalist Masara Kim Usman.

Among those killed was Pastor Hills Emmanuel, a Ghanaian-Nigerian cleric based in Bokkos and founder of The Wonderful Grace of God Evangelical Ministry.

Emmanuel and another pastor, Gabriel Joseph Dipak of the Christ Apostolic Church, were reportedly abducted after armed men stopped a commercial minivan they were travelling in along the Barkin Ladi-Bokkos road.

The vehicle was said to be carrying nine passengers. The attackers reportedly dragged the two pastors out, seized the phones and cash of the other passengers and subsequently released them. Police later recovered some of the stolen belongings at the scene.

Emmanuel’s body was reportedly discovered early Saturday, August 29, close to the location where the abduction occurred.

His fellow pastor, Dipak, was still being held by his abductors at the time of the reports, with the kidnappers said to have contacted his family. Details of any ransom demand were not immediately clear.

The violence was not limited to the road ambush.

Reports said a woman was killed in Fang village, Bachi District, in Riyom Local Government Area, while two other people were killed in Radura village, Fann District, Barkin Ladi.

Another person was reportedly injured in Chakfem village in Mangu Local Government Area, while several homes were said to have been set ablaze during the attacks.

The incidents have renewed concerns over the worsening security situation in Plateau State, where rural communities have continued to face attacks, killings and abductions.

The latest violence came barely two weeks after a deadly attack in Mangu Local Government Area in which at least 25 people were killed in Bi Mper community. Following that attack, the Nigerian Army moved a tactical office to Mangu and launched Operation Hard Nut to strengthen security operations in the area.

The identities and motives of the perpetrators in the latest attacks were based on reports from witnesses and conflict monitors, while investigations by security agencies are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the killings and identify those responsible.

The fresh attacks have again placed Plateau communities on heightened alert and intensified calls for stronger protection of vulnerable communities across the state.