Reported by Afilawos Magana Sur, Managing Editor | Journalist at Sele Media Africa.
RIYOM, Plateau State — Local reports say armed assailants killed Reverend Ayuba Choji, his wife Chundung, and their two children in Gako village, Rim Ward, on Sunday, April 26, 2026. The claims remain unverified by Plateau State authorities, police, or the military at the time of writing.
Witnesses and community accounts said the attackers stormed the home around 11:00 p.m., fired repeatedly, and fled with a motorcycle reportedly belonging to the cleric. The incident, if confirmed, would add to a string of deadly attacks that have kept Plateau State on edge throughout April 2026.
What Residents Said Happened
Residents in Riyom said the attackers targeted the family home during the night raid. They described gunfire that sent villagers scrambling into nearby bushes for safety. Those accounts also said the assailants stole the pastor’s motorcycle before escaping.
The family named in the reports included Reverend Ayuba Choji of the Evangelical Church Winning All, his wife, Chundung Ayuba, and two children identified as Cyril and Endurance. At the time of writing, no official confirmation had verified their identities or the exact death toll.
The lack of an official incident report leaves open several questions, including the number of attackers, the weapon type used, and whether any security patrol reached the village after the shooting. Community leaders in Plateau often release the earliest casualty figures, but those claims can change after police investigation.
Plateau’s Widening Security Spiral
Plateau State has endured repeated attacks in Riyom, Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Jos North and Jos South in recent weeks. Premium Times reported on April 10, 2026 that gunmen killed eight people in Bokkos, while TheCable reported on April 7, 2026 that 28 people died in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North, in an earlier attack.
That pattern has sharpened public fear across the state. It also places pressure on Governor Caleb Mutfwang, police commanders and military units to explain how armed groups continue to strike villages after repeated deployments and public condemnations. TheCable reported that the governor previously condemned the Angwan Rukuba killings as “barbaric and unprovoked.”
Plateau’s violence now extends beyond single incidents. It has produced funerals under protest, curfews in some local government areas, and recurring accusations that attackers exploit poor road access, weak response times and local tensions over land and identity.
ECWA Families Under Pressure
The reported killing also touches a wider pattern of attacks on ECWA members and clergy in northern and central Nigeria. TheCable reported in March 2026 that gunmen abducted ECWA pastor Sunday Agang from his residence in Jos North, while the church’s leadership has also described the kidnappings and killings of its members as a continuing crisis.
That pattern matters because attacks on pastors and their families often carry symbolic weight in Plateau communities. Clerics play leadership roles in rural settlements, lead burial rites, and serve as early warning voices when violence spreads. When attackers target them, residents often read the assault as a message of intimidation, not only a crime. This is an inference from the recurring targeting of ECWA leaders reported in Plateau and Kaduna.
In March and April 2026, attacks in Plateau also triggered protests, funeral disruptions and renewed arguments over who protects civilians in rural communities. TheCable reported that youths disrupted a funeral in Jos North on April 7, 2026 after the Angwan Rukuba killings, underscoring the depth of anger inside affected communities.
Official Silence Raises Questions
By the time of writing, no verified statement from the Plateau State Police Command, the state government or the Nigerian military had confirmed the Riyom deaths. That silence does not disprove the reports, but it prevents publication of a confirmed casualty count.
In Nigeria, initial reports after rural attacks often come from residents, local youth leaders or church groups before police or military statements follow. That pattern can save lives when communities need rapid warning, but it can also produce confusion when different groups give different totals. The Riyom case fits that familiar pattern.
Security agencies in Plateau have repeatedly described their response as ongoing, but communities often complain that attackers arrive and leave before reinforcements reach the scene. Premium Times reported on April 21, 2026 that troops moved into parts of Riyom after fresh unrest elsewhere in the area, which shows the state’s heavy security footprint and the persistence of the threat.
Why Riyom Matters Beyond Plateau
Riyom sits inside Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where violence frequently overlaps with disputes over land, farming routes, herding, revenge attacks and criminal banditry. That mix makes attribution difficult in the first hours after an attack, especially when residents describe assailants only as “gunmen” or “armed men.”
The human cost reaches far beyond Plateau. Farmers in Benue, Nasarawa and Kaduna watch the same pattern and draw the same conclusion: a rural family can lose its home, its food source and its life in one night. That weakens confidence in state protection and drives more people into displacement camps, urban slums or self-defence arrangements.
Nigeria’s security challenge also matters to West Africa. When violence pushes people from Plateau, Benue or Kaduna, the consequences ripple into Niger, Cameroon and Chad through migration pressure, food insecurity and arms movement. A deteriorating Middle Belt can also strain the country’s broader role in regional trade and stability. This is an inference based on Nigeria’s central economic and geographic position and the recurring violence documented in Plateau.
What Authorities Must Clarify
The next test lies with the police, the Plateau government and security commanders in Jos. They need to confirm whether the dead included Reverend Ayuba Choji, his wife and children, identify any suspects, and explain whether troops or police visited Gako village after the shooting.
They also need to say whether this attack links to earlier violence in Riyom and neighbouring local government areas. If investigators find a wider pattern, they should publish it quickly and clearly so residents can take precautions and families can bury their dead with verified facts. That clarity matters as much as arrests.
For now, the Riyom killing remains an alarming report rather than a fully confirmed case. But the broader picture already stands: Plateau State continues to live under repeated armed attacks, and communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt continue to demand answers, protection and accountability.
Sources:
- Premium Times, reported fresh Plateau attacks in Bokkos and earlier killings in Riyom-adjacent communities, March-April 2026
- TheCable, reported attacks, ECWA abduction, and Plateau funeral protest coverage, March-April 2026
- Daily Trust, historical reporting on killings in Riyom and attacks on clerics, April 2026
- Sele Media Africa, related Plateau security coverage, https://selemedia.org/
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