Berom Militia rustled 102 cows in Riyom in sustained unprovoked attacks on Fulani Livelihood

By: Zagazola Makama

No fewer than 102 cows were rustled on Wednesday in Dan Sokoto, Ganawuri District of Riyom Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State, in what residents described as part of a series of sustained unprovoked attacks on the economic lifeline of pastoral communities.

Local sources told Zagazola Makama that the rustling occurred at about 11:00 a.m. when armed men, identified by witnesses as Berom militia from Vom District in Jos South LGA, stormed the area and drove away the cattle. The herders reportedly fled for their lives as the attackers were said to be wielding sophisticated weapons.

The cattle belong to Alhaji Nalado of Gargari, around Tashan Nashanan, and Malam Ango of Sabon Kaura, around Kudadu both in Jos East LGA though the animals were taken from Ganawuri in Riyom LGA.

Witnesses said the attackers were heavily armed, forcing the herders to flee for their lives. As of the time of this report, no cattle had been recovered, despite security agencies being alerted immediately. Residents also allege that areas such as Vwang in Jos South and parts of Fan District in Barkin Ladi LGA are increasingly seen as “no-go” zones where rustled cattle are kept and recovery efforts face serious obstacles.

The rustling of 102 cows in Ganawuri District of Riyom Local Government Area (LGA) on Jan. 14, 2026, is not an isolated crime. It is the latest chapter in a long-running pattern in Plateau State where attacks on livestock particularly cattle act as a spark that often ignites wider communal violence.

This dynamic was visible again this month. At least seven cows were poisoned in Kwi village in Riyom LGA, while three others were shot dead around Kuru Gadabiyu in Barkin Ladi LGA, near the Bicichi axis. Security sources attributed the incidents to Berom militia elements. Each attack on cattle heightens tension in flashpoints already on edge.

Before the latest attack, the Chairman of the Berom Educational and Cultural Organization was heard in a viral video during a burial threatening to eliminate any Fulani harder who entered into their community in Foron District in Barkin Ladi.

The pattern is familiar. On Jan. 6, coordinated attacks on Jol community in Riyom LGA and Gero in Gyel District of Jos South LGA left three people dead. The violence followed the shooting of two Fulani youths earlier that same day in Jos South, one of whom later died. Witnesses described that earlier ambush as unprovoked.

Once again, the sequence followed a predictable arc: an initial attack, then swift retaliation, and then counter-retaliation. Each side frames its actions as response, while the original triggers often attacks on livelihoods fade from public narratives.

After the Jol and Gero killings, the Berom Youths Moulder-Association (BYM) condemned what it called sustained attacks on indigenous communities and renewed calls for the proscription of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN). But security assessments note that public statements often omit the events that preceded the reprisals especially the poisoning, shooting or rustling of cattle.

This omission deepens mistrust. When one side’s losses are highlighted and the other’s ignored, communities retreat into hardened positions. The result is polarisation and a cycle where each new incident becomes justification for the next.

The January incidents sit on top of months of unresolved grievances: On Dec. 12, 2025, over 130 cattle were reportedly rustled in Nding community. Around the same period, livestock poisoning was recorded across parts of Jos East and Riyom LGAs. These were followed by deadly clashes, including the killing of four children in Dorong village, Barkin Ladi LGA, and attacks on Gero village that resulted in deaths, injuries and loss of livestock.

On Dec. 16, 2025, an attack on an illegal mining site in Tosho community, Barkin Ladi LGA, left 12 miners dead and others abducted an incident security sources linked to earlier cattle rustling and farmland destruction. Each episode shows the same sequence: economic sabotage, fear, anger, then violence.

For pastoral communities, cattle are not just animals; they are livelihoods, savings and identity. When herds are stolen, poisoned or shot, families are pushed into desperation.
Targeting cattle is particularly dangerous because it strikes directly at survival. Once herds are destroyed or taken, families lose income, food security and social standing. In such conditions, emotions escalate quickly. Poisoning or killing cattle is often interpreted as a declaration of hostility. It rarely ends without reprisal.

Zagazola has repeatedly warned that Plateau risks remaining trapped in a cycle where each incident becomes the excuse for the next unless attacks on both lives and livelihoods are addressed impartially.

Berom Militia rustled 102 cows in Riyom in sustained unprovoked attacks on Fulani Livelihood