According to a report by Daily Post, on Saturday, July 18, 2026, one of the survivors of the deadly attack on Kum village in the Rim District of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State has shared a painful account of how armed assailants invaded his home and wiped out members of his family.
The survivor, Mr. James Yohanna, was among only three people who escaped alive from the attack that occurred last Saturday.
Speaking with journalists on Friday, Yohanna described the incident as one of the most terrifying experiences of his life, saying the attackers focused on his household during the assault.
According to him, the gunmen killed nine members of his family, including his wife, his son, his four-year-old daughter, and his two-month-old granddaughter.
He said he narrowly escaped death and believes the attackers intentionally targeted his home because of his family connection to the Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) for Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo.
Yohanna explained that the attackers spoke Fulfulde, the language commonly associated with the Fulani ethnic group.
He said they appeared to have specific information about his family and repeatedly demanded to know the whereabouts of the “father” of the house before opening fire.
While recalling the tragic incident, Yohanna said the attackers first attempted to force their way into the house.
He explained that one member of the household managed to run outside as they tried to gain entry.
However, the fleeing victim was shot in both the arm and the leg. Despite the injuries, he succeeded in hiding before the gunman chasing him could catch up with him.
He further narrated that after about 30 minutes, he heard dogs barking again, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching the house.
Moments later, gunshots rang out from the direction of his son’s room.
He then heard the attackers kick down the door after firing at it.
According to Yohanna, his son pleaded with the gunmen not to hurt the family.
However, one of the attackers, speaking Hausa with a Fulani accent, allegedly declared that the family would “learn a hard lesson” after once again demanding to know where the father of the house was.
When his son could not provide the answer they wanted, the attackers allegedly opened fire, killing him.
Yohanna said they also shot his son’s wife before turning their guns on the family’s two-month-old baby, who was also killed during the attack.
He said, “At that point, I threw my six-year-old daughter through the window and followed, running aimlessly into the bush as one attacker fired several shots at me….See More