KEY POINTS
- A Plateau mother survived after shielding two children from gunfire.
- Three of her other children were reportedly killed in the attack.
- She is receiving hospital treatment for multiple gunshot injuries.
A 35-year-old mother, Kyerna Jonathan, has survived a deadly terrorist attack in Plateau State after reportedly using her body to protect two of her children from gunfire.
The attack, which occurred on Monday, August 17, 2026, took place in Bin Mper village, Kombun District, in Mangu Local Government Area of the state.
According to Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, a preacher and senior cleric with the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Kyerna displayed extraordinary courage when armed attackers stormed her home while she and her five children were asleep.
Dachomo, who recounted the incident in a post on X, said the attackers arrived in large numbers and forced their way into Kyerna’s home.
He alleged that the assailants were speaking Fulani and chanting “Allahu Akhbar” as they carried out the attack.
Kyerna’s husband, Jonathan Ishaku, was reportedly outside keeping watch when the attackers arrived. According to Dachomo, he had no weapon to defend his family and fled into a nearby cornfield, hoping the attackers would bypass his home.
However, the gunmen reportedly broke through the doors and entered the room where Kyerna and her children were sleeping.
Attackers Open Fire
Dachomo said the attackers opened fire with automatic rifles, shooting repeatedly inside the house.
Faced with the danger, Kyerna reportedly threw herself over her two youngest children, using her body as a human shield.
The gunmen allegedly continued shooting for several minutes, striking Kyerna multiple times in the back before leaving her for dead.
When rescuers arrived, they reportedly found her seriously wounded and bleeding heavily.
Despite the severity of her injuries, the two children she had shielded were found unharmed.
Kyerna survived the attack and was taken to a hospital, where she is reportedly receiving treatment for her injuries.
Dachomo described her survival as extraordinary, saying the mother had taken bullets meant for her children and lived to recount the ordeal.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the continuing security challenges facing communities in Plateau State, where attacks on rural settlements have repeatedly resulted in deaths, injuries and displacement.