The abducted businessman, identified only as Gilbert, is reportedly a well known trader dealing in petrol, cement and fertiliser within the community. Local sources said the gunmen had seized him before encountering the deceased officer. His whereabouts remained unknown in the latest available reports, and no confirmed information had emerged concerning a ransom demand or direct communication between the kidnappers and his family. The incident has caused anxiety among traders and residents who depend on commercial activities for their livelihoods. Community members fear that further attacks could disrupt business operations and discourage movement between settlements already affected by persistent insecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A resident, Lawrence Tabitha, who confirmed the attack to journalists in Jos, expressed concern over repeated incidents in Pushit and neighbouring communities. Tabitha explained that the officer was killed after the attackers encountered him while escaping with the businessman. He identified Vodni, Sabon Gari and Nchiya as other communities experiencing security concerns and called on the Plateau State Government and security agencies to reinforce their operations. He also appealed for efforts to secure Gilbert\u2019s release and urged residents to remain vigilant, report suspicious movements and cooperate with security personnel investigating the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Security personnel at a checkpoint in Plateau State. The latest attack occurred despite restrictions intended to prevent further violence.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The killing has generated additional concern because it occurred during a period when dusk to dawn curfews were reportedly in force in Mangu and other affected local government areas. The restrictions were introduced following repeated violent incidents that threatened public safety and disrupted daily activities. Curfews are intended to reduce unauthorised nighttime movements and give security personnel greater control over vulnerable locations. However, the ability of the attackers to abduct a businessman and kill a serving security officer has raised questions about surveillance, patrol coverage and emergency response arrangements. The circumstances have also prompted calls for an assessment of whether existing security measures are adequately protecting communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has confirmed the officer\u2019s death. Its spokesperson, Afolabi Babawale, expressed sadness over the killing and acknowledged that Audu had been shot by suspected kidnappers. The confirmation established the loss of a serving officer, although the precise sequence of events continues to rely substantially on accounts provided by local residents. Community activist John Walshak clarified that Audu was not guarding the abducted businessman when he was attacked. Rather, he appeared to have encountered the kidnappers by chance while travelling from his residence. This distinction is important to understanding the circumstances of the killing and avoiding speculation about the officer\u2019s involvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a related development, five Muslim clerics from Dorowa-Babuje, Luggere and Jol communities in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area have appealed to the Federal and Plateau State governments over alleged unlawful arrests, threats and destruction of property. The clerics, including Imams Bashir Khamis, Salihu Muhammad, Idris Usman, Aliyu Mahmud and Yahaya, called for impartial investigations and equal protection for residents regardless of their religious or ethnic backgrounds. They alleged that some community members had been intimidated and that properties had been damaged during security operations. Their claims have not been independently established, but the complaints underscore the wider tensions surrounding security enforcement in parts of Plateau State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rural communities in Plateau State have experienced recurring security threats affecting residents, farmers and local businesses.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Plateau State has experienced repeated episodes of communal violence, armed attacks and displacement over several years. One particularly serious period occurred during the Christmas attacks of December 2023, when coordinated assaults on communities in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi local government areas killed more than 100 people and displaced many residents. The violence drew national condemnation and renewed demands for stronger protection of vulnerable settlements. Disputes involving farmland, grazing routes, community boundaries and longstanding ethnic and religious tensions have contributed to instability in parts of the state, although the motives behind individual attacks must be established through investigation rather than assumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria has separately demanded an investigation into the alleged killing of a herder and injuries sustained by two others during an encounter with mobile police personnel in Bassa Local Government Area. Its Plateau State chairman, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, also accused officers reportedly attached to Mobile Police Force 81 of unlawful arrests and the destruction of Fulani homes in parts of Barkin Ladi. The allegations include an incident said to have occurred on October 19 at Exland Junction in Gashish District. These claims remain disputed and require independent verification. They also demonstrate the importance of ensuring that security operations protect civilians while maintaining public confidence across different communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As of October 23, 2026, the whereabouts of the abducted businessman, Gilbert, remained unconfirmed in available reports, and no arrests had been publicly established in connection with the killing of Deputy Superintendent Audu. The Plateau State Police Command had not provided a detailed public account of the incident, while broader allegations involving security personnel also awaited official clarification. Residents continue to demand stronger patrols, improved intelligence gathering and measures capable of preventing armed groups from operating during curfew hours. The latest attack highlights the urgent need for coordinated security operations, transparent investigations and sustained engagement with affected communities to prevent further loss of life and restore confidence in public safety.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Gunmen have killed a senior officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and abducted a businessman in Pushit community, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, despite an existing curfew imposed to contain recurring violence. The attack occurred on Monday night, October 19, at approximately 9:30 p.m., when armed men reportedly seized a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":38389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"","timeOption":"","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":""},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[3699,4,5,3,1138],"tags":[24603,25889,25890,25896,25892,2586,1992,25893,4207,25891,25888,11880,20733,123,4069,21434,25894,25886,25885,89,25895,25887],"class_list":["post-38388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-featured","category-international","category-naija-news","category-politics","tag-armed-banditry","tag-businessman-abducted","tag-civil-defence-officer-killed","tag-community-attacks","tag-distu-garba-audu","tag-gunmen-attack","tag-insecurity-in-nigeria","tag-jos-security-news","tag-kidnapping-crisis","tag-kidnapping-in-plateau","tag-mangu-lga","tag-nigeria-crime-news","tag-nigeria-latest-news","tag-nigeria-police-force","tag-nigeria-security-crisis","tag-nscdc","tag-operation-safe-haven","tag-plateau-curfew","tag-plateau-insecurity","tag-plateau-state","tag-plateau-state-government","tag-pushit-community"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/8qAxtUcw5vjyi40YkvQamij_wNGkMtWrTt4JjXOz3qeKyu-wXaNiwB86dTs4ul1qHl0dW9J852_RUnHv2-3BLLAr94ggTdHUIej6NE7KA3iwdnt-yaHuHcmACERvSQsfjp_nwFCbE7ZnX1ygzDwXY0lOlqWpwakTPc6MG9Pg1qM.jpg?fit=938%2C625&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38388"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38390,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38388\/revisions\/38390"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Security operations in Plateau State remain under pressure to prevent further attacks and protect vulnerable communities.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n