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