3 traders shot dead by gunmen at a busy vegetable market in Nigeria

Gunmen attacked a busy vegetable market in Mangu town, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria, on Friday night, killing three people and injuring several others.

The assault took place around 8:30 p.m. as traders and buyers were preparing to close for the day. Armed assailants opened fire on a vehicle leaving the market, killing two women and a young man. The sudden shooting triggered panic, with people fleeing in all directions. The resulting stampede left additional people injured.

Bulus Dabit, President of the Mwaghavul Development Association (MDA), confirmed the incident. He said the victims’ identities were not immediately known and that several seriously injured people were 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 stated. “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.”

Another source, John Haruna, also confirmed that multiple people sustained injuries amid the chaos as people scrambled to escape.

Dabit condemned the attack and called on security agencies to use intelligence and technology to identify and arrest the perpetrators, noting they were likely still in the area.

The incident occurred only hours after the MDA had raised alarms about ongoing threats in Mangu communities. The association said more than 750 Mwaghavul people have been killed in attacks since 2023 and had earlier called for an immediate investigation into recent killings in the area.