Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) News has aired an interview with journalist Masara Kim Usman, who witnessed a deadly gunmen attack that disrupted a mass burial in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The incident reportedly occurred on May 6 during a funeral in the Fan District, also known as Ndang village, where residents had gathered to bury victims of an earlier assault. The burial was for seven people killed in a previous night raid on May 5.
According to Usman, a reporter with Truth Nigeria who has covered long standing violence in the region, the funeral turned chaotic when armed attackers stormed the area from nearby hills and opened fire on mourners.
He described scenes of panic as gunfire erupted while graves were being prepared. Usman said one local security volunteer attempting to protect mourners was shot dead instantly during the attack.
“I saw a man shot right in front of me,” he said during the interview, adding that the situation escalated quickly as reports emerged of simultaneous attacks on surrounding communities.
Earlier violence on May 5 in nearby settlements, including Hwol Gassa community, reportedly left at least two people dead and several others injured, according to his account.
The following day’s burial, intended as a collective farewell for victims of the earlier attack, was interrupted by renewed violence, forcing mourners to flee for safety. Videos shared online showed distressed residents running from the scene as gunfire rang out, with freshly dug graves left exposed.
Authorities have not yet released an official casualty figure for the latest attack, while security operations in the area are said to be ongoing.
