At least 12 artisanal miners were killed, three abducted, and five others injured when gunmen stormed a mining site in the Ratoso community, Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Plateau State, on Tuesday night, December 16, 2025.
The attack occurred around 9:00–9:30 p.m. while the victims, mostly young men, were engaged in legitimate night mining activities. Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants, arriving in large numbers and reportedly hiding in the community beforehand, opened indiscriminate fire, catching the miners off guard and causing panic.
National President of the Berom Youth Moulder Association, Barrister Solomon Dalyop, condemned the unprovoked assault: “Our people were carrying out their legitimate mining business... when armed men attacked them, killing 12 and abducting three. Five others were injured.” He described it as a painful reminder of ongoing insecurity in Plateau communities, noting prior warnings of potential attacks during the Christmas season.
Dagallang Davott, Chairman of Berom Educational and Cultural Organisation (BECO) and Secretary of the Mining Committee in Barkin Ladi, confirmed the deaths and expressed concern over missing persons. Community leaders are preparing burials for the deceased while urging security forces, including Operation Safe Haven, to intensify efforts to rescue the abducted and apprehend the perpetrators.
Plateau State Police Command spokesperson SP Alfred Alabo confirmed the incident, stating that the Divisional Police Officer and team are on the ground conducting investigations.
This latest violence adds to a series of attacks on mining sites and communities in Plateau State, often linked to longstanding farmer-herder tensions and resource disputes in Nigeria's Middle Belt region.
Authorities have appealed for calm as investigations continue.
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