Seven farmers killed in Plateau attack as reprisal cycle deepens

By; Zagazola Makama

The killing of at least seven farmers in Bum community, Chugwi area of Vwang District, Jos South Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State, late Wednesday, has been widely interpreted as the latest link in a rapidly escalating chain of reprisal violence that has gripped several parts of the state since early December 2025.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the attackers, Fulani Bandits struck at about 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, when most villagers were already asleep, killing the farmers in their homes and nearby farmlands before fleeing.

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

Tengwong said the attack occurred despite earlier security alerts warning that several communities in Jos South LGA were under imminent threat.

“According to local sources, the tragic incident occurred despite an earlier security alert indicating that some communities in Jos South LGA had been earmarked for possible attacks,” he said.

“Sadly, Bum community has now fallen victim to this renewed wave of violence. This attack adds to the growing list of assaults on innocent rural communities in Plateau State.”

However, the attack was linked to the Bum killings, a reprisal cycle triggered by a series of violent incidents involving pastoral and farming communities across Barkin Ladi, Jos East, Riyom and Jos South LGAs throughout December 2025.

The immediate backdrop to the Bum attack was the shooting of five Fulani youths on Dec. 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 returning from Bukuru Cattle Market (Kara Market) when gunmen suspected to be Berom militias allegedly opened fire on their vehicle without provocation.

They sustained critical injuries and were rushed to Jos University Teaching Hospital for treatment.

The Plateau State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ibrahim Yusuf, condemned the shooting, describing it as part of a recurring pattern of attacks on Fulani travellers and pastoral communities.

He called for urgent investigation and improved security along major roads and commercial routes in the state.

Security sources note that the Dec. 27 shooting itself followed a more deadly incident on the night of Dec. 16, 2025, when gunmen reportedly attacked an illegal mining site at Tosho community in Fann District, Barkin Ladi LGA.

During that attack, 12 miners were killed and three abducted after the assailants allegedly demanded information on the whereabouts of 171 cattle stolen from Nding community on Dec. 10, 2025.

The December violence had begun earlier with attacks on pastoral assets. On Dec. 12, 2025, herders in Nding community, Fan District of Barkin Ladi LGA, lost about 137 cattle to rustlers. The animals reportedly belonged to Alhaji Wada Sale, Abdullahi Yusuf and Alhaji Talba Abubakar.

Less than 24 hours later, another rustling incident was reported in Kukukah community of Jos East LGA, where 34 cattle were driven away, though three later returned.

Soon after, nine cows reportedly died after allegedly consuming poisonous substances around Kwi village in Riyom LGA, further heightening tensions.

The situation deteriorated sharply two days later 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.

Following that incident, retaliatory attacks reportedly continued, including an assault on Gero village in Jos South LGA, where several cattle were killed or fatally wounded.

Zagazola Makama noted that the killing of the seven farmers in Bum community fits a familiar pattern; attacks on cattle or pastoral communities, followed by retaliatory violence against farming settlements, and counter-reprisals along ethnic and communal lines.

Zagazola has repeatedly warned that unresolved cattle rustling, livestock poisoning and targeted killings often serve as triggers for revenge attacks on innocent civilians, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of violence.

Despite repeated early warnings and alerts, affected communities continue to accuse authorities of slow response, selective enforcement and failure to decisively dismantle armed militias on all sides.

As of press time, official reactions from security agencies on the Bum attack had yet to be issued.

Meanwhile, residents fear that without urgent, impartial intervention, the latest killings could provoke further reprisals, deepening insecurity across Plateau State at a time when many communities are still mourning losses from earlier December attacks.

Seven farmers killed in Plateau attack as reprisal cycle deepens