Gunmen Open Fire on Grazing Herdsmen in Plateau, 1 Herder, 100 Cattle Dead

In a disturbing escalation of violence in Plateau State, gunmen opened fire on herdsmen while they were grazing, resulting in the death of one herder and over 100 cattle. The attacks took place in two separate incidents within Jos South and Riyom local government areas, raising serious concerns about security in the region.

The first attack occurred on Tuesday evening in the Gero community of Jos South LGA, where about 70 cattle were killed. According to Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, State Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), the assailants also butchered some of the cattle and stole the meat. Three herders were injured during the attack and are currently receiving medical treatment, with one at a hospital in Jos and two others at the Military Hospital in Rukuba Barracks.

The second attack took place on Wednesday morning in Darwat community of Riyom LGA. Babayo reported that over 40 cattle were killed in a similar fashion, with some butchered and meat stolen. He described the attacks as coordinated and unprovoked, and accused youths from the Berom ethnic group of orchestrating the violence.

“This is part of a worrying pattern of attacks in the area,” Babayo said, adding that in the past two weeks there have been multiple incidents of cattle rustling and attacks on herders, including the disappearance of a herder and the theft of 41 cattle in Bisichi.

Victims of the attacks have expressed shock and sorrow over the losses. Shagari Ibrahim described the sudden gunfire while grazing, saying, “We did not know what was happening. The cattle were killed, and we are left wondering why this happened to us.” Another victim, Musa Ibrahim, confirmed the shooting and called on the federal government to intervene urgently.

The President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association denied any involvement by the Berom people, calling the accusations baseless propaganda. He accused the Fulani herders of spreading false information to cast themselves as victims and tarnish the image of the Berom community. He also highlighted a recent incident where four people were killed in Dajundun, Riyom, allegedly by Fulani individuals, and urged the government to ban open grazing.

The Plateau State government has yet to fully verify the details of the attacks. Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, said she was unaware of the incidents but emphasized that the administration would not tolerate any actions that disrupt peace in the state. She called for calm as efforts continue to address the security challenges.

Attempts to get comments from Operation Safe Haven, the security task force responsible for maintaining order in Plateau and neighboring states, were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.