No fewer than 20 security operatives and local vigilantes were tragically killed in a deadly ambush by heavily armed terrorists in the Wanka and surrounding communities of the Garga area in Kanam Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State on Friday afternoon. The Kanam Development Association (KADA), an umbrella body representing the people of Kanam LGA, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Saturday by its Secretary, ND Shehu Kanam, and Chairman, Garba G. Aliyu. The association specified that the victims included 12 security personnel, among them two senior military officers, and eight vigilante members who were actively assisting security forces in protecting the local communities.

The ambush occurred around 2:00 p.m. on Friday when a joint patrol team, comprising military personnel and local vigilantes, was on a routine security operation. Traveling in two vehicles across the communities of Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau, and other neighboring settlements, they were suddenly ambushed by hundreds of heavily armed terrorists on their way to Wanka. KADA described the ensuing exchange of gunfire as unfortunate, leading to the loss of "brave defenders who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty." The association reiterated its profound sorrow, outrage, and grave concern over the tragic attack, calling the deaths "deeply painful and unacceptable," especially as the fallen operatives died while defending rural communities that have long faced repeated attacks.

Following the ambush, the terrorists reportedly stormed the Kyaram community. There, they proceeded to loot properties worth millions of naira and rustle a large number of cattle belonging to innocent residents, further compounding the suffering of already vulnerable rural populations. While reports indicated that some of the bandits were neutralized during the encounter, KADA emphasized that the loss suffered by the security forces and community defenders was far more painful and unacceptable.

KADA stressed that this tragic incident is not an isolated event but rather part of a prolonged wave of insecurity that has plagued Kanam's border communities for several years. Communities around Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau, Wanka, and neighboring settlements, located along the volatile borders of Plateau, Taraba, and Bauchi states, have endured persistent attacks, cattle rustling, kidnappings, and destruction of property by armed bandits who appear to operate with alarming freedom due to the difficult terrain. The association lamented that despite issuing numerous appeals and warnings to relevant authorities over the deteriorating security situation, the crisis has continued to escalate beyond imagination.

In response, KADA has urgently called on the local, state, and federal governments to immediately intervene and rescue the communities from the grip of insecurity, preventing further bloodshed. Among its demands, the association urged the immediate deployment of additional military and security personnel to Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau, Wanka, and surrounding communities. They also called for the establishment of a permanent security presence within these border areas and enhanced coordinated security operations along the Plateau–Taraba–Bauchi border corridor, which terrorists exploit. Furthermore, KADA appealed for relief support for affected residents, many of whom have lost homes, livestock, and other sources of livelihood as a result of the ongoing attacks. "The people of these communities are law-abiding citizens whose only desire is to live peacefully, farm their land, raise their families, and contribute to the development of our nation. They cannot and must not be abandoned to the mercy of armed criminals,” the statement concluded.