Plateau Mother Survives Terrorist Attack That Killed Three Others

35-year-old mother, Kyerna Jonathan, has survived a deadly attack in Plateau State after reportedly using her body to shield two of her children from armed attackers who invaded her home. Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, a preacher in Plateau State and senior cleric with the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), shared the account on his X account on Wednesday, describing Kyerna’s actions as an act of “raw courage, resilience, and a mother’s ultimate sacrifice.” According to Dachomo, the attack occurred on Monday, August 17, 2026, when armed terrorists invaded Bin Mper village in Kombun District, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State. He said the attackers, whom he described as speaking Fulani and chanting “Allahu Akbar,” arrived in large numbers and broke into Kyerna’s home. “Her name is Kyerna Jonathan. She is 35 years old. Her story is one of raw courage, resilience, and a mother’s ultimate sacrifice,” Dachomo wrote. He alleged that Kyerna's husband, Jonathan Ishaku, was outside keeping watch when the attackers arrived. “With no weapon to defend his family and no time to get them out, he ran into a nearby cornfield, praying the attackers would pass over his house,” the cleric said. “They did not. Their mission was to leave no survivors.” Dachomo said the attackers forced their way into the house and opened fire on Kyerna and her five children, who were asleep. “They shot off the door locks and stormed the room where Kyerna lay sleeping with her five children, firing round after round from automatic rifles,” he said. According to the account, Kyerna, faced with the attack, threw herself over her two youngest children, using her body to protect them from the gunfire. “With seconds to act, Kyerna made a choice. She threw herself over her two youngest children who were sleeping beside her bed, using her own body as a shield,” Dachomo said. He alleged that the attackers continued shooting for several minutes, hitting Kyerna multiple times in the back before leaving the scene. “The gunmen kept firing for several minutes, hitting her multiple times in the back before leaving her for dead,” he said. Rescuers who arrived at the scene reportedly found Kyerna seriously injured and bleeding heavily. “But beneath her, the two children she had covered were completely unharmed,” Dachomo said. However, Kyerna’s three other children were killed in the attack, according to the cleric. “Tragically, she did not have time to reach her three other children. They were killed in the attack. They were among the 25 people buried the following morning in Bin Mper village,” he said. Kyerna survived the shooting and was taken to a hospital, where Dachomo said she is currently receiving treatment for her injuries. He described her survival as that of “a mother who took the bullets meant for her children and lived to tell it.