Nigeria Validates 7th Biodiversity Report, Signals Renewed Push Toward 2030 Global Targets

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria has taken a decisive step to reinforce its environmental commitments with the validation of its Seventh National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity at a high-level workshop in Abuja on Monday.

The validation workshop, brought together government officials, environmental experts, civil society actors, researchers, development partners and community representatives to review and endorse the country’s latest biodiversity performance assessment.

Describing the exercise as a defining moment for Nigeria’s environmental governance, the Director of Forestry, Hajiya Halima Bawa-Bwari, said the national report goes far beyond a routine international obligation.

According to her, the document serves as a critical reflection of Nigeria’s achievements, gaps and future priorities in conserving its vast biological wealth.

“The National Report is not just a statutory submission. It is a mirror of our collective journey — our progress, our challenges and our aspirations in protecting the natural heritage entrusted to us,” she stated.

Bawa-Bwari emphasized that biodiversity underpins food security, climate resilience, economic livelihoods and cultural identity across the country. She warned that accelerating ecosystem degradation, habitat loss and climate pressures demand coordinated and urgent action.

Bawa- Bwari represented by Ahmed Labaran, Assistant Director, Forestry commended the contributions of ministries, research institutions, civil society organisations, local communities and development partners in shaping the draft report, noting that biodiversity conservation requires sustained collaboration, innovation and inclusivity.

Participants were urged to ensure that the final document aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which sets ambitious targets for halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.

“Our deliberations must strengthen national resolve, integrate biodiversity into development planning, and mobilize the financial and technical resources required for implementation,” she said, calling for integrity and professionalism in validating the report.

The Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Lawal, in his remarks, described the Seventh National Report as coming at a pivotal time for global and domestic biodiversity action. He stressed that Nigeria’s revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) remains the country’s principal roadmap for translating global environmental commitments into measurable national outcomes.

The Minister, who was represented by Tijani Ahmed, Deputy Director Forestry, said the validation process must guarantee that the report is evidence-based, comprehensive and reflective of realities on the ground.

“The report must not end as an international filing exercise,” the Minister stated. “Its findings should inform policy coordination ent decisions, guide resource mobilization and strengthen accountability in implementing the NBSAP.”

He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, calling for stronger inter-agency coordination, sustainable financing mechanisms, improved environmental data systems and the meaningful participation of sub-national governments, indigenous communities, women, youth and the private sector.

Stakeholders at the workshop expressed optimism that the finalized report will not only highlight Nigeria’s progress but also chart a renewed and ambitious path toward achieving the 2030 biodiversity targets.

With the validation concluded, Nigeria signals its intent to remain actively engaged in global biodiversity governance while strengthening domestic efforts to safeguard ecosystems critical to national development and future generations.

Nigeria Validates 7th Biodiversity Report, Signals Renewed Push Toward 2030 Global Targets

Tension in Plateau as youths block road, kill four after attack by suspected Fulani gunmen

By: Zagazola Makama

Four persons have been reportedly killed after youths suspected to be local indigenes blocked a road and attacked travellers along Nding axis of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, shortly after an earlier reprisal assault in which gunmen suspected to be Fulani militias killed seven residents in Dorowa Babuje village.

Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred when a passenger Opel Vectra vehicle conveying civilians was intercepted by a group of youths who mounted a road blockade along Nding road.

The assailants reportedly selected and attacked occupants of the vehicle, killing four persons on the spot.

Security forces later confirmed that five corpses were transported to Jos North, indicating that one additional victim may have died from injuries sustained during the attack.

Two of the victims were identified as indigenes of Jos North, a development that has heightened tension in parts of the metropolis, particularly around the Terminus and Gangare areas where residents expressed concern over possible reprisals.

The sources believe the Nding road incident may have been a retaliatory action triggered by news of the earlier killings, which spread rapidly across nearby communities before security agencies could fully stabilise the situation.

One security official said the road attack occurred hours after gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits on revenge mission opened fire on residents at a local gathering spot in Dorowa Babuje, killing seven persons and injuring two others.

The attacks followed closely on the heels of other deadly attacks recorded within days on fulani communities by attackers suspected to be Berom militia across Barikin Ladi and Riyom General areas in Plateau state.

Sources said additional personnel had been deployed to flashpoints across Barkin Ladi and adjoining districts to forestall further violence.

“Joint patrols and stop-and-search operations have also been intensified along major roads and entry routes to prevent escalation and track suspects involved in both incidents,”said the sources.

Security agencies also warned residents against reprisals or mob actions, stressing that such acts could worsen the fragile security situation.

Community leaders in affected areas have appealed for calm, urging youths to allow security forces to handle investigations.

Tension in Plateau as youths block road, kill four after attack by suspected Fulani gunmen

Suspected Fulani bandits on reprisal killed 7, injure 2 in revenge to multiple attacks in Plateau

By: Zagazola Makama

Seven persons have been killed in Dorowa Babuje village of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area following an attack by gunmen suspected to be Fulani militias, in what security sources describe as a reprisal linked to a series of earlier assaults on pastoralist communities across Plateau State.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at about 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 22 when troops of Sector 4 under Operation Safe Haven responded to a distress call that armed men had stormed a local relaxation spot in Dorowa Babuje and opened fire on residents.

On arrival, troops discovered seven persons dead and two others critically injured. The corpses were evacuated to Barkin Ladi General Hospital mortuary, while the injured victims were rushed to the same facility for treatment.

Security forces had since launched aggressive patrols across Dorowa Babuje, Dong and Lugere villages to intercept the attackers and forestall further breakdown of law and order.

Military responders evacuated the deceased to Barkin Ladi General Hospital mortuary while the injured were rushed to the same facility for treatment. Troops subsequently launched aggressive patrols across Dorowa Babuje, Dong and Lugere communities to prevent escalation and track perpetrators.

Zagazola report that the Feb. 22 killings did not occur in isolation but were preceded by weeks
of sustained targeted attacks on pastoralists communities by Berom Militia and in some cases months of violent incidents triggered by attacks on both pastoral and agrarian communities in the state.

Less than 24 hours before the Barkin Ladi attack, armed men suspected to be Berom militia reportedly attacked herders in Jol community of Riyom, killing one Muhammed Sani and abducting another victim identified as Faruq Jamilu. Livestock belonging to the victims were also reportedly killed or injured.

In Feb. 19, three Fulani youths Tahiru Muhammad, Jibrin Salisu and Abdulmumin Isyak were ambushed and brutally killed by suspected Birom Militia while returning from Dorowa Babuje area near Jong community. The attackers cut off the head of one of the slain Fulani youth before fleeing the scene. Evidence reportedly recovered at the scene included spent cartridges, a motorcycle and empty bottle of alcohol. Community representatives described the attack as targeted and warned it could trigger retaliation.

Earlier in February 11, six cows belonging to two herders were reportedly poisoned at Tulus and Rwam villages in Bokkos. Two animals died instantly while four others had to be slaughtered after showing symptoms consistent with poisoning. Around the same period, two houses were set ablaze in Tulus village during a separate attack on a Fulani settlement.

Earlier, on Feb. 2, one cow was shot dead at Weren Camp in Riyom LGA, while three others were poisoned in Kwi village using toxic substances reportedly concealed inside fruits placed along grazing routes. Veterinary observers described the method as deliberate and premeditated.

December 2025 escalation pattern

Security assessments published by Zagazola traced the roots of the current escalation to a series of incidents recorded in December 2025 across several LGAs.

On Dec. 12, armed attackers reportedly stormed Nding community in Fan District of Barkin Ladi LGA and rustled about 137 cattle belonging to three herders.

Barely 24 hours later, on Dec. 13, another 34 cattle were rustled at Kukukah community in Jos East LGA. The same day, nine cows reportedly died from poisoning in Kwi village of Riyom LGA.

On Dec. 16, armed bandits suspected to be Fulani attacked an illegal mining site at Tosho community in Fan District, Barkin Ladi LGA, allegedly to recover previously rustled cattle. The incident reportedly resulted in multiple fatalities, injuries and abductions.

Between Dec. 18 and 19, retaliatory attacks were reported in Dorong village of Barkin Ladi LGA, where four children were killed, and in Gero village of Jos South LGA, where additional livestock were reportedly destroyed.

On Dec. 27, five youths travelling from Kara cattle market were ambushed along Bukuru Express Road near Angle D in Jos South LGA and evacuated to Jos University Teaching Hospital with gunshot wounds.

Zagazola Makama report that the Plateau’s recurring rural violence is increasingly driven by tit-for-tat reprisals tied to livelihood destruction, especially attacks on Fulani settlements, cattle rustling and poisoning, which often serve as immediate triggers for wider communal confrontations.

The Plateau State Government had refused to demonstrate sufficient political will to decisively addressing the root causes of the recurring violence across the state, particularly in rural flashpoints such as Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Bokkos.

The incidents reveal the same structured pattern of violence in which attacks on livestock or individuals are followed by retaliatory raids.
Zagazola has repeatedly warned of these reprisal ecosystem, where each attack becomes justification for another, yet investigations rarely lead to arrests, prosecutions or publicly communicated outcomes.

The absence of swift justice, weak deterrences delayed investigations and the proliferation of armed non-state actors are contributing to the persistence of the crisis and has remained a catalyst for further bloodshed.

Again, Zagazola warned that failure to decisively interrupt the cycle risks normalising reprisal attacks, expanding militia influence and eroding state authority in Plateau state.

Suspected Fulani bandits on reprisal killed 7, injure 2 in revenge to multiple attacks in Plateau