Seven Farmers Killed as Reprisal Attacks Escalate in Plateau

Seven farmers were killed late Wednesday night in Bum community, Chugwi area of Vwang District, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, amid escalating reprisal violence in the region.

The attack occurred at about 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, when residents were asleep. Local sources said the assailants moved through the community, killing victims in their homes and on nearby farmlands before fleeing.

Confirming the incident on Thursday, spokesperson of the Berom Youths Moulder-Association (BYM), Mr. Rwang Tengwong, said seven bodies had been recovered, while search and rescue efforts were continuing in surrounding bushes.

He said the attack took place despite earlier security alerts warning of possible attacks on several communities in Jos South LGA.

“Local sources indicate that the incident happened despite prior security alerts that some communities in Jos South LGA were under threat,” Tengwong said. “Bum community has now joined the growing list of rural communities affected by the ongoing violence in Plateau State.”

Security sources linked the killings to a cycle of reprisals following a series of violent incidents involving farming and pastoral communities across Barkin Ladi, Jos East, Riyom and Jos South LGAs throughout December 2025.

The latest attack followed the shooting of five Fulani youths on December 27, 2025, near Con Filling Station along Bukuru Express Road, close to Angle D in Jos South LGA. The victims—Abubakar Aji, Idi Saleh, Sulaiman, Nura Muhammad Detta and Dabo Abubakar—were reportedly returning from Bukuru Cattle Market when gunmen suspected to be Berom militias opened fire on their vehicle. They sustained critical injuries and were taken to Jos University Teaching Hospital.

Reacting to the shooting, the Plateau State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ibrahim Yusuf, condemned the attack and described it as part of a recurring pattern of violence against Fulani travellers and pastoral communities. He called for an urgent investigation and improved security along major roads.

Security officials also linked the tensions to an earlier incident on December 16, 2025, when gunmen attacked an illegal mining site in Tosho community, Fann District of Barkin Ladi LGA, killing 12 miners and abducting three others. The attackers reportedly demanded information on 171 cattle stolen from Nding community on December 10.

The violence had intensified earlier in the month with repeated attacks on pastoral assets. On December 12, herders in Nding community, Fan District of Barkin Ladi LGA, lost about 137 cattle to rustlers. The cattle reportedly belonged to Alhaji Wada Sale, Abdullahi Yusuf and Alhaji Talba Abubakar.

Less than a day later, 34 cattle were stolen in Kukukah community of Jos East LGA, although three were later recovered. Shortly after, nine cows reportedly died after grazing on poisonous substances around Kwi village in Riyom LGA.

Tensions escalated further when four children were killed in Dorong village, Foron District of Barkin Ladi LGA, in what residents described as a Fulani reprisal attack. The victims were identified as Precious Joshuah, 17; Isa’ac Joshuah, 9; Mary Joshuah, 7; and Eve Sambo, 3.

As of Thursday, security agencies had yet to issue a detailed public statement on the Bum attack. Residents across affected communities say they fear further reprisals unless urgent steps are taken to contain the violence.