Gunmen Kill Three, Injure Scores in Popular Market

• Gunmen opened fire on a vehicle leaving a busy vegetable market in Mangu, Plateau State, on Friday night, killing three people
• The Mwaghavul Development Association president confirmed the attack, saying two women and a young man were killed
• Several injured persons were referred to Jos University Teaching Hospital as the association called on security agencies to act

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

Armed men attacked a crowded vegetable market in Mangu town, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, on Friday, September 19, 2026, killing three people and leaving scores injured after gunfire caused a mass panic.

The shooting began around 8:30 p.m., just as traders and shoppers were winding down for the evening. Gunmen fired multiple shots at a vehicle that was departing the market, striking and killing two women and a young man.

The chaos that followed the attack sent buyers, sellers and passers-by running in all directions, and the resulting stampede left additional people with injuries.

Victims' Names Unknown, Injured Taken to JUTH

Bulus Dabit, president of the Mwaghavul Development Association (MDA), confirmed the attack and said the identities of the three victims had not yet been established.

He said injured victims were being referred to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for treatment.

"At about 8 p.m. on Friday, gunmen shot several times at a vehicle leaving the vegetable market in Mangu, killing two women and a young man," Dabit said.

"The names of the victims are not known yet. Several passers-by were seriously injured and are being referred to the Jos University Teaching Hospital for treatment."

A second source, John Haruna, also confirmed the incident, saying the sudden outbreak of gunfire threw the market into complete disorder.

Haruna said people fled without knowing where others were going, which led to more injuries on top of those caused directly by the shooting.

MDA Urges Security Agencies to Act

Dabit condemned the attack in strong terms and called on law enforcement to use intelligence resources and technology to catch those responsible.

"Security agencies must leverage intelligence and technology to apprehend the perpetrators of these dastardly acts, as they would not be far from the scene of the crime," he said.

The attack happened only hours after the MDA had already raised an alarm over sustained violence against communities in Mangu.

In a statement signed by the association's Director of Public Affairs, Friday Derwam, and issued earlier on Friday following a joint meeting of its national executive, women's leadership and youth leadership, the MDA said more than 750 Mwaghavul people had been killed in attacks since 2023.

The association had called for an immediate investigation into the recent killings in the local government area before Friday night's market attack added three more names to the toll.