Gunmen kill 14 cattle, rustle 29 in Plateau

Gunmen on Saturday evening attacked herders around the Gero community in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing 14 cattle and rustling 29 others. The herding community described the attack as unprovoked, saying the gunmen stormed the area while the herders were tending to their cattle. The latest attack came amid rising tension between herding and farming communities in various parts of Jos South, Bassa, Barikin Ladi and Mangu LGAs of the state. State Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, confirmed the incident on Sunday. According to the chairman, the incident was one of several attacks and killings involving their members in the area, noting that members had lost cattle worth millions of naira within a few months, as well as the lives of several herders. “It is deeply troubling that this attack comes weeks after the tragic incidents in the same general area. On 30 June 2026, three innocent Fulani herders lost their lives in Gero, while on 16 June 2026, four others were reportedly killed in Nyongo, with their bodies yet to be recovered. The recurrence of such incidents demonstrates a worrying pattern of violence that continues to threaten peaceful coexistence and the security of pastoral communities in Plateau State. “MACBAN expresses its deep sympathy to the affected cattle owners and the entire Fulani community. The destruction of livestock is not only an economic attack but also an assault on the livelihoods of families who depend entirely on cattle rearing for their survival. “The continuous killing of cattle and attacks on innocent herders must not be allowed to become the new normal. Every Nigerian deserves equal protection under the law, irrespective of ethnicity, occupation, or place of residence,” he said. The herding community called on its members to remain calm and law-abiding, warning them against taking the law into their own hands as security agencies promised to investigate those responsible for the crime and bring them to justice. The Spokesperson of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwong, said he would confirm the incident from the area and get back to our correspondent, but had not done so as of the time of filing this report. The spokesperson for the state’s Operation Enduring Peace, Captain Polycarp Oteh, did not respond to an inquiry