Kentucky Cheerleader Who Suffocated Her Newborn Learns Her Fate in Court

Laken Snelling, a University of Kentucky STUNT team member, has been arrested in connection with the death of her newborn baby.

A former University of Kentucky cheerleader who pleaded guilty to killing her newborn son was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison.

Laken Snelling admitted in Fayette Circuit Court on Aug. 21 to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, WLEX reported.

During the plea hearing, she told the court, “Instead of helping him, I ended his life.”

Prosecutors had suggested the 10-year term under the agreement. A judge imposed that sentence on Friday.

The case began on Aug. 27, 2025, when Lexington police were called to a residence in the 400 block of Park Avenue for an unresponsive infant.

Officers found the baby dead at the scene.

The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office later determined the infant had been born alive and died from asphyxia by undetermined means.

A Fayette County grand jury indicted Snelling on a charge of first-degree manslaughter. She had earlier been arrested on charges of concealing a birth and tampering with evidence.

The Western Journal reported in March that Snelling, 22, was charged after the grand jury added the manslaughter count.

Court records described the baby as wrapped in a towel, placed inside a black trash bag, and hidden in a closet.

Roommates told investigators they heard loud noises from Snelling’s room around 4 a.m., including sounds strong enough to knock a picture from a wall.

Shortly before 9 a.m., she told a Snapchat group the noise came from her passing out and that she planned to seek medical attention. The roommates later entered her room and found the baby, according to search warrant documents.

An indictment obtained by Us Weekly alleged that she intentionally abused the infant and thereby caused death to a person 12 or younger, or who was physically or mentally helpless.

She was not charged with murder because prosecutors determined she was under “extreme emotional disturbance.”

After her initial arrest, she was released on a $100,000 bond and spent months under house arrest at her parents’ property in Jefferson City, Tennessee.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Henderson Baird previously called the case “very tragic.”

First-degree manslaughter is a Class B felony in Kentucky, punishable by 10 to 20 years.

The plea agreement fixed the sentence at the low end of that range.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

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Former Socialist Congressional Candidate Arrested For Threatening People Who Don’t Vote For Angie Nixon: “I’m Going to Cut Your F*cking Head Off”

Former Socialist Congressional candidate Elijah Manley arrested in Florida for threatening to behead Republicans

Elijah Manley, the former Socialist-Democrat candidate in Florida, was arrested for threatening to behead people if they don’t vote for Democrat Senate candidate Angie Nixon.

Recall that Elijah Manley, an anti-ICE activist, previously lashed out at his opponent Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz for running in a majority black district.

“I think, for sure, it was a bad move by the congresswoman to run in this district. It was selfish and all about her, her career, and not about the community. She failed to do any meaningful dialogue with the community before announcing her run, and it comes off as a hostile takeover of the district,” said Elijah Manley, a 27-year-old Black Democrat and progressive organizer running against her in the primary.

Over the summer, Elijah Manley threatened to behead people if they don’t vote for Communist Florida Senate Candidate Angie Nixon.

“Every democrat needs to get behind the democratic nominee for Senate. Anybody not doing that, I promise you I’m going to cut your f*cking head off,” Elijah Manley wrote on Facebook.

“Any of you that don’t support Angie Nixon. I promise you I will make your life a living hell to the very end,” he said.

Elijah Manley turned himself in to Broward County authorities this weekend.

CBS News reported:

Former Florida House District 20 candidate Elijah Manley surrendered to authorities Thursday and was booked into the Broward County Jail on two counts of making written threats to kill or cause bodily injury.

Manley, a 27-year-old Democrat, faces the charges over social media posts he made shortly after losing the August election, according to an arrest warrant obtained by CBS News Miami. Investigators said the warrant stems from a series of Facebook posts exchanged between Manley and two other people.

According to the warrant, one post said: “Every Democrat needs to get behind the Democratic nominee for Senate. Anybody not doing that, I promise you I’m going to cut your [expletive] head off.”

The candidate referred to in the post was Angie Nixon.

Authorities said Manley later tagged two people in the comments and wrote more messages that investigators interpreted as threats.

One comment said: “I’m talking to y’all. I saw y’all comments earlier. I’m already pissed off, do not piss me off more. I swear to god, take me to war over this black woman, and I promise y’all I will burn y’all [expletive] castle to the ground and anyone else in my way.”

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1 Dead, 1 Injured in Shooting at Apartment Complex Near Mosque in Columbus, Ohio

Federal authorities are responding to a deadly shooting at an apartment complex near a mosque in Columbus, Ohio.

One person is dead and one person is injured in the shooting.

Initial reports suggested that the shooting occurred inside or near the mosque.

“ATF Columbus Field Division Special Agents are responding to a reported shooting incident at a mosque in the 2200 block of Albert Ave. in Columbus, OH. Additional information will be shared as it becomes available,” the ATF said.

However, Columbus police firmly stated that the shooting was NOT an attack on the mosque.

The Associated Press reported:

Federal agents responded Monday to a report of a shooting at a mosque in Columbus, Ohio, authorities said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in a post on X that the location is northeast of downtown Columbus. The area includes a cluster of two-story apartment buildings, in addition to a mosque.

Neither the police, neighborhood officials nor the mosque immediately responded to phone messages seeking further information.

DEVELOPING…

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Ukraine Field Report: Russian Bombs Kill Six in Sloviansk as Strikes Hit Energy Sites Across Ukraine

A residential complex in Kherson Oblast after Russian airstrikes killed one person and injured 22, including children, on October 17, 2026. Photo courtesy of DSNS of Kherson region.

 

Russian forces targeted Ukraine’s power grid overnight into October 17 and struck residential districts in Sloviansk and Kherson with aerial bombs, killing civilians and injuring dozens.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia struck more than 15 key power generation and transmission facilities. The assault involved more than 320 Shahed-type drones launched between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., along with cruise and ballistic missiles. Ukraine’s Air Force reported downing 289 of 332 drones.

The hardest-hit areas included Lutsk, Rivne, Zhytomyr and Vinnytsia. Kharkiv, Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions were also targeted.

At about 3:40 a.m. on October 17, Russian aircraft dropped FAB-250 bombs on a residential district of Sloviansk, damaging nine apartment buildings, according to police. Donetsk Oblast Military Administration head Vadym Filashkin later reported that six people were killed and 13 injured in Sloviansk that day. One person was also killed and another injured in Kramatorsk, bringing the oblast’s toll to seven dead and 14 injured.

Those attacks followed strikes the previous day that killed two people and injured eight in Kramatorsk. In Sloviansk, seven people were injured and five apartment buildings damaged.

Hours after the October 17 attack on Sloviansk, Russian aircraft dropped eight guided bombs on Kherson’s Korabelnyi district in two strikes within an hour. The second strike hit after medics arrived, killing an ambulance driver.

The city military administration reported 22 people injured, including a one-month-old infant and an 11-year-old child. The State Emergency Service said ten apartment buildings were damaged and rescuers pulled seven injured people from the rubble.

Across Kherson Oblast, regional police reported 43 people injured on October 17, including three children, two medics and two rescuers. The previous day, attacks killed one person and injured 16 others, including two children, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Those strikes damaged ten apartment buildings, a private house and a supermarket.

In Kharkiv region, which has faced repeated strikes on bridges and towns, Russian forces attacked Kharkiv city and 10 settlements with six missiles, a guided bomb, a Lancet drone, four FPV drones and 142 other drones. The attacks injured 41 people, including a 13-year-old girl and two boys aged 12 and 13. In Kharkiv city, a 71-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man were killed. Four apartment buildings, a dormitory, warehouses and ten cars were damaged.

Russian forces attacked Dnipropetrovsk Oblast almost 20 times, killing one person in Dnipro and injuring four on the city’s outskirts. An industrial enterprise caught fire in Kryvyi Rih.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russian forces carried out 563 strikes on 57 settlements, including 21 airstrikes and 379 drone attacks, injuring six people.

Sumy Oblast, where Russian bombs recently wounded dozens, came under more than 30 attacks targeting 16 settlements. Eight civilians were injured.

Far from the front, Russian attacks injured six people and damaged civilian and critical infrastructure in Vinnytsia region, according to regional head Natalia Zabolotna. She said air defenses shot down 24 drones. In Rivne region, a strike on an enterprise started a fire and injured two people. In Lutsk, the German-owned Kromberg & Schubert plant halted operations after drone strikes.

A strike on an energy facility in Chernihiv region left nearly 19,000 customers without power. In Odesa region, Russian forces hit a recreation area, damaging holiday homes and cars but causing no casualties, according to Governor Oleh Kiper.

The capital, where drones recently struck a school, came under combined missile and drone attacks from the evening of October 18 into October 19. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a 21-year-old woman was killed and five people were injured in Solomianskyi district. A metro station was also damaged. In nearby Irpin, one woman was killed and 19 people were injured, including nine children.

On the diplomatic front, President Donald Trump issued an executive order on October 16 waiving sanctions under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, citing the “national interests of the United States.” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said, “Enforcing the sanctions provisions now would impede ongoing U.S. efforts” toward a peace deal. Zelensky responded, “This Act could have helped enormously – and still can!”

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Slovakia would not contribute to the €70 billion ($79 billion) in aid Ukraine requested from the EU for 2027. He added that Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar shared that position.

Zelensky also warned that Russia wanted to deploy ballistic missiles in Belarus to strike western Ukraine, saying this would mean “directly dragging Belarus into this war.”

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DOJ Takes Emergency Action Against California in Fight to Stop State from Counting 20,000 Ballots Given to Non-Citizens

California Governor delivers a speech with American and California flags in the background, emphasizing state initiatives and policies.

California Governor delivers a speech with American and California flags in the background, emphasizing state initiatives and policies.

The Justice Department on Monday asked the Court for an emergency restraining order against California, requiring the state to immediately set aside the 20,000 ballots sent to non-citizens.

On Friday, the DOJ put California on notice and vowed to prosecute election officials who tabulate unlawful ballots.

“California on Notice: Federal agencies identified over 20,000 suspected noncitizens registered to vote in California who have already been mailed ballots,” First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said on Friday.

“Under 18 U.S.C. §§ 611 and 2, officials who knowingly tabulate unlawful ballots risk aiding and abetting a federal offense. The Justice Department urges the County and the Secretary of State to temporarily segregate the flagged ballots pending citizenship verification or face legal consequences,” Bill Essayli said.

On Monday, the DOJ requested a restraining order to immediately separate the 20,000 ballots.

“Once illegally cast ballots are counted and commingled with lawful votes, the resulting harm may be impossible to remedy. The urgency is heightened because of the fundamental right to vote and to have one’s lawful vote counted without dilution,” the DOJ said in its request for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), according to Fox News.

The emergency request for a TRO comes after the DOJ filed a federal lawsuit against California.

The federal lawsuit, filed in the Central District of California on October 15, requests an order preventing the tabulation of ballots belonging to individuals identified as likely noncitizens until their citizenship can be determined.

The Justice Department said Homeland Security Investigations and federal partners examined voter-registration records and conducted additional verification work to identify potential noncitizens.

On Friday, President Trump vowed to jail the lawbreakers in California if they count ballots for non-citizens: “They will all go to jail for a long period of time!!!”

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Iranian Cyber Operations

Alexander-design, Wikimedia Commons

This story originally was published by Real Clear Wire

By Michael Groen , Sarah Havdala

Americans have long found comfort in the two oceans that separate us from Middle East wars, but the vulnerabilities Iranian cyber operations pose bring these conflicts much closer to home. Through cyber intrusion, Iran has already disrupted our water supply and healthcare sector while continuing to threaten our energy and telecommunications infrastructure. If we fail to force an end to Iran’s cyber warfare, collaborate with our partners to alert the public on Iranian threats, and help communities address key cybersecurity concerns, the Iranian state and cybercriminals may cause irreversible damage to American infrastructure.

Attempting to disrupt U.S. military operations and  the American government, cybercriminals within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Cyber Economic Command and Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS), such as Handala Hack Team, launched direct cyberattacks targeting American troops and officials.  These attacks not only demonstrated Iran’s intent to harm the American warfighter, but also compromise our defense apparatus. Handala claimed responsibility for seizing the personal information of U.S. servicemembers stationed in the Middle East, including details on the F-35 fighter jet, as well as hacking the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations Director’s email.

Iran has also carried out cyberattacks on critical infrastructure in the continental United States, demonstrating its reach and determination to harm noncombatants. Attacking infrastructure can quickly undermine our way of life, such as threatening our school safety, clean water, food access, and heating and cooling systems. In a horrifying incident in March, Handala likely launched the most significant wartime cyberattack against the United States, with hackers claiming to have wiped between 80,000-200,000 devices, prompting surgery delays at hospitals and panic amongst patients nationwide. Then, in July, several American towns issued water advisories after a coordinated cyberattack struck water facilities across the United States, with cybersecurity experts noting that the techniques mirror past Iranian hacking operations.

As Iran openly hacked U.S. infrastructure, the regime also launched cyberattacks on Israel and America’s Arab partners, pressuring them to curtail relations with the United States. While claiming responsibility for cyberattacks on military and critical infrastructure systemsacross the Middle East, including in Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), Iranian forces also combined cyberoperations with kinetic strikes to maximize their damage. Handala has claimed to have hacked the facility and stolen around 430,000 classified documents.

While the Trump administration has recently expanded the U.S. government’s jurisdiction to combat foreign cybercriminals, Iranian cybergroups’ recent threats to our water, energy, and telecommunications sectors suggest they feel empowered to continue launching attacks.

As U.S. forces in the Middle East combat Iranian missiles and drone attacks on our troops and allies, the United States must counter the full range of Iranian aggression, including the regime’s use of cyberwarfare. Until we do that, Iran will continue to have a means of pressuring the United States and targeting Americans. Therefore, U.S. officials should publicly signal a firm position that Washington will only agree to end the war and will hinge any future deal with Iran if the regime halts cyberattacks on U.S. and partner infrastructure.

But linking a deal may not entirely stop Iran from finding loopholes to resume its malign operations. Therefore, the intelligence community and U.S. foreign partners should exchange common tactics, techniques, and procedures of Iranian cybercriminals and inform the public on these identifying features. By exposing Iran’s common hacking signatures, government’s can prepare their people to recognize and thwart Iran’s operations.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) should lead a nationwide hands-on cybersecurity educational initiative with state, local, and tribal governments, as well as major infrastructure stakeholders, such as telecommunications, water, and energy companies aimed at identifying zero-day vulnerabilities and providing them with the necessary tools and resources to fix them. Within this initiative, any organization CISA assesses to have a direct role in operating our critical infrastructure must meet a series of cybersecurity conditions CISA sets, and must undergo annual reviews ensuring full compliance with CISA safeguards.

Iran’s kinetic attacks and assault on the Strait of Hormuz aren’t the only actions causing international chaos. Iran’s cyber warfare has infiltrated the daily lives of American citizens and disrupted military operations overseas. It is essential that Washington treat any cyberattack targeting our military assets, civilians, and international partners like any other kinetic strike. Therefore, we must hold Iran accountable for its cyberattacks while actively collaborating with our foreign partners and rigorously bolstering our cyber defenses nationwide.

LtGen Mike Groen (U.S. Marine Corps, ret.) was Director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) and was a participant in the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) 2023 Generals and Admirals Program.

Sarah Havdala is a policy analyst at JINSA.

This article was originally published by RealClearDefense and made available via RealClearWire.

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Superbowl Winning Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Likely Out for the Season After Scary Health Update

Image: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license./ Author: All-Pro Reels

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts may be out after revealing a scary health update. Hurts is dealing with a serious blood-clot condition and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 season.

He was initially diagnosed with a superficial blood clot (superficial vein thrombosis) in his left calf while the Eagles were in London but played through it in a Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Unfortunately, further testing revealed a more serious diagnosis: deep vein thrombosis (DVT) plus bilateral pulmonary emboli, which is blood clots in both lungs.

Treatment involves blood thinners, so while he is actively taking the medication,  he cannot participate in any contact activities, including football.

A joint statement from the Eagles organization and Hurts’ agent, Nicole

Statement on the Health Status of QB Jalen Hurts from the Philadelphia Eagles and Jalen Hurts’ Agent Nicole Lynn:

Over the last few days, Jalen Hurts has received comprehensive medical evaluations by physician experts. In the interest of transparency, we are providing additional information on the diagnosis and treatment plan related to his condition.

Jalen was initially diagnosed by specialists in London with a left calf superficial vein thrombosis. After further testing and monitoring, the current diagnosis is a deep vein thrombosis, as well as bilateral pulmonary emboli. He is clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations. His treatment should only involve anticoagulation (i.e., “blood thinners”). During this time, he will not be allowed to participate in any contact activities, including football.

Jalen’s prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery. We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners. In the meantime, he will remain active around the team and continue to condition. More importantly, we anticipate that he will have no long-term effects.

We are thinking of Jalen and looking forward to a strong recovery.

Hurts played college football at Alabama from 2016–2018, where he was a starter as a freshman and won a national championship during the 2017 season.

He transferred to Oklahoma for 2019, finished as Heisman Trophy runner-up, and led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff.

He was drafted by the Eagles in the second round (53rd overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft. He became the starter late in his rookie year and has since led the team to multiple playoff appearances, division titles, and two Super Bowl appearances winning Super Bowl LIX.

 

 

 

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New Corsi Book “Dumb-O-Crats: How the Democratic Party Became the (Secretly Marxist Jihadist Communist) DSA” Reveals How Democrats Are Stealing Elections with Mail-in Ballots

Jerome Corsi released his latest book this week on the modern-day radicalized Democratic Party.

The title of the book: “Dumb-O-Crats: How the Democratict Party Became the (Secretly Marxist Jihadist Communist) Democratic Socialists of America”

Dumb-O-Crats is for sale at Amazon.com.

** Jerome Corsi will join radio, TV host and author Wayne Allyn Root on his nationally syndicated conservative talk show on USA Radio Network today to discuss the book, including information he has on mail-in voting fraud. You won’t want to miss that!

Wayne Allyn Root: Raw & Unfiltered is broadcast daily from 6–9 PM ET on the USA Radio Network, a nationally syndicated talk radio platform.

According to the author:

Dumb-O-Crats exposes the utopian lie behind the move by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to take over the Democratic Party with socialist promises leading to communist lies.

Dumb-O-Crats is Jerome R. Corsi’s definitive statement on the tragic demise of the Democratic Party—a statement that arises from the past quarter century Dr. Corsi has spent writing and speaking about the dark evil forces moving in stealth across this land. In his 2023 magnum opus The Truth about Neo-Marxism, Cultural Maoism, and Anarchy: Exposing Woke Insanity in an Age of Disinformation, he warned that Neo-Marxism would evolve into cultural Maoism, ending up in anarchy. In that book, he predicted the ideological perversion that began with Karl Marx would transform the iron fist of communism into the smiling mask of democratic socialism.

These dark evil forces gained momentum when the radical left in the United States made a pact formed in hell with radical Islamic jihadists in the Middle East, starting the day in 1979 when Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Tehran from exile in France. The result of this evil marriage is a perversion of language so fundamental that critical theory insanity is driven to brainwash children into being unable to distinguish who is a man and who is a woman, while LGBTQ+ radicals enter into revolutionary alliances with those who would gladly behead them.

The resulting insane woke political ideology has now penetrated into and captured the heart of the once respected Democratic Party such that leaders like Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are willing to throw away the past. Will the Democratic Party really part ways with the loyalty and heritage won from Jewish voters since the day in 1948 that President Harry Truman made the decision to support a United Nations vote to partition what the English had termed “Palestine” to create the Jewish State of Israel? The question Dumb-O-Crats raises is whether or not We the People will throw away the only nation on Earth founded on the premise that our rights are inalienable, gifted by God, not bequeathed by the state.

Dumb-O-Crats proves the Democratic Socialists of America have resurrected and reworked lies that have for generations enslaved those unfortunate enough to be doomed to be born in communist states—ideas based on bankrupt promises that today deceitful DSA politicians have no intention of fulfilling.

The post New Corsi Book “Dumb-O-Crats: How the Democratic Party Became the (Secretly Marxist Jihadist Communist) DSA” Reveals How Democrats Are Stealing Elections with Mail-in Ballots appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Justice Department Charges 28 Non-Citizens for Registering to Vote in California.. Developing… (VIDEO)

The Justice Department on Monday morning charged 28 non-citizens for registering to vote in California.

11 of the defendants have been arrested so far.

Via the Justice Department:

Federal law enforcement throughout California today arrested 11 foreign nationals living in the United States who are charged in criminal complaints with federal crimes, including that they fraudulently registered to vote in U.S. elections, electoral contests in which most of them cast illegal and fraudulently obtained ballots.

Today’s arrests are part of “Operation Protect the Vote” – a coordinated effort among all four California-based United States Attorney’s Offices to combat and root out fraud in U.S. elections and protect electoral integrity.

All 28 foreign nationals charged are lawful permanent residents (LPRs), or “green card” holders. Although LPRs have legal immigration status in the United States, they are not U.S. citizens and are not permitted to vote in U.S. elections.

The criminal charges include making false statements in a naturalization application and some of the defendants also are charged with fraudulent voter registration. Both charges are felonies that carry a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli announced the arrests and charges on Monday during a press conference.

“Today’s arrests prove what we have been saying,” said Essayli.

“California is mailing ballots to noncitizens, and they are refusing to comply with federal law, which makes it a crime for noncitizens to vote. The voting rights of American citizens must be protected,” Essayli added.

“Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter.

“Each of the 28 defendants charged today appears on the list of more than 20,000 likely noncitizen registrants we provided to California election officials last week. California refused to look at that list. Today’s charges show exactly what that refusal puts at risk. California must verify the citizenship of those more than 20,000 registrants before mail-in ballots are counted,” McCotter said.

“These are not isolated instances,” Essayli said.

WATCH:

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Nigeria Roundup Report: Attackers in Military Uniforms Kill Village Security Guard as October Killings Mount

Christians in Nigeria continue to suffer murder and kidnapping. Photo courtesy of Paul.

 

On the night of Monday, October 12, armed Fulani attackers invaded Nchiya community in Mangu Local Government Area (LGA), Plateau State. They attacked two men at a local vigilance point with gunfire and machetes, killing 65-year-old Dauda Shamaki. The second man escaped. Two of the attackers wore military uniforms, according to a statement by the Mwaghavul Youth Movement (MYM).

Earlier that day, near Aloghom community, Fulani attackers shot and injured a security operative after cattle were driven onto farmland, destroying crops, the movement said.

The statement, issued on October 13, was signed by Director of Public Affairs Tubwot Joël Sunday on behalf of MYM President Comr. Jonathan Kyesmang Yusuf. It said, “While there is no concrete evidence yet that the military as an institution provided cover for the attackers, the presence of individuals in military uniform among the attackers is highly suspicious and must be thoroughly investigated.”

The movement called on the military high command, the Plateau State Government and security agencies to investigate the attacks and prosecute those responsible. It also said Fulani residents “must also be subjected to collective blame because of their continued conspiracy of silence.”

The Nchiya killing was among a series of attacks between October 2 and 13 in Plateau State, including communities in Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu LGAs, 30 to 40 miles south of the state capital, Jos. On October 2, two people were killed in Jenta community, Jos South LGA. On October 4, two people were killed in Matan Kubet, Bokkos LGA. That night, Fulani herdsmen killed two Christians and injured three others in Mangor village, according to Bokkos youth leader Bwefang Sunday.

In Barkin Ladi LGA, attackers injured Bulus Chun Pam of Gwom Ajang, Foron District, on October 7. He died two days later at Jos University Teaching Hospital.

At about 7 p.m. on October 8, gunmen ambushed and killed a police officer riding to his duty post along the Kwi-Beco road in the Chit area of Heipang District. Plateau State Police Command spokesperson DSP Alabo Alfred did not respond to inquiries.

In neighboring Riyom LGA, attackers killed 42-year-old David Danjuma and rustled 114 cattle in Wereng between October 6 and 12, according to the BYM.

At about 3 p.m. on October 9, attackers killed John Mafulul, 53, and Ezekiel Yohanna, 50, at a mining site in the Jamus area of Kazok villages, Gashish District, according to the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM). The association blamed “Radical Islamic Fulani Militias.”

On October 11, two people were killed in the Mai Katako area of Bokkos LGA. On October 13, James Joro Dung, 48, was killed in Tafan, Barkin Ladi LGA, according to the BYM.

Also on the night of October 13, gunmen shot Mishkaham Yohanna Jatau Samkwar, a traditional leader of the Mwaghavul people, in the leg at his home in Daffo, Bokkos LGA. He later died at a cottage hospital in Mangu.

Kidnappers had abducted his son, Zuhumnan Nanle, in Daffo on October 3 and released him on October 12. Bulus Dabit, national president of the Mwaghavul Development Association (MDA), said, “It is very clear that the recent attackers are the kidnappers.”

The attacks continued despite a curfew. On September 21, the Plateau State Government imposed a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew on Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu LGAs and banned motorcycles in those areas, Commissioner for Information and Communication Joyce Ramnap announced.

The following night, at about 7:49 p.m., gunmen killed three vigilantes on the Kyikyau–Gyambwas boundary in Mangu Halle District during curfew hours. The victims were Samson Dachet, 45, Gambo Fwangyil, 50, and Zughumnan Bamaiyi, 35.

MYM Director of Public Affairs Tubwot Joël Sunday asked, “Who is the curfew ultimately protecting?” Dabit said, “The curfew is not working with lawless persons.” Operation Enduring Peace spokesperson Capt. Polycarp Oteh declined to comment.

The October attacks followed the killing of about 70 Christians across Plateau State in September. In Mangu LGA alone, 76 churches and worship centers have been destroyed since 2023, according to a list compiled by community leaders. Of these, 57 belonged to the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN). The remainder served Baptist, Catholic, Anglican, ECWA, Deeper Life, Living Faith, Assembly of God and independent congregations. Ten of the 76 were still under construction when they were destroyed.

In September, the MDA said that “more than 750 members of Mwaghavul communities have been killed in recurring violence since 2023.”

No response from the military, the police or the Plateau State Government to the Mwaghavul Youth Movement’s call to investigate the attackers in military uniforms could be found. No arrests have been announced in the killings of Dauda Shamaki, the Kazok miners, the police officer on the Kwi-Beco road or Mishkaham Yohanna Jatau Samkwar.

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