Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
JOS, Nigeria – Suspected Berom militia members have killed two persons – a herder and a local resident – and shot multiple cattle in a targeted assault on Fulani herders in Sabon Gida community, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, marking the latest episode in a relentless cycle of communal violence that security analysts warn is being driven by selective outrage and unacknowledged grievances. The attack occurred on June 6, 2026, less than 24 hours after separate incidents of livestock killings and cattle rustling in the same area, according to a security report by counter‑insurgency analyst Zagazola Makama.
Military sources told Zagazola that troops of Sector 6 under Operation Peace (OPEP) responded to distress calls reporting an attack on cattle in Sabon Gida. Upon arrival, security forces discovered the bullet‑riddled bodies of a herder and a local resident. They also found five dead cattle and four others with gunshot injuries. Police personnel from the Bukuru Division recovered the bodies, while the injured cattle were handed over to officials of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Jos South LGA.
The June 6 bloodshed followed an earlier incident on June 5 in the same Sabon Gida community, where armed attackers – also suspected to be Berom militia – allegedly shot and killed two cows and injured a calf before fleeing. Troops deployed to the scene found the dead animals and launched efforts to track down those responsible. On the same day, troops of Sector 3 under Operation Enduring Peace recovered 28 cattle allegedly rustled by suspected Berom militia members around Gero community, also in Jos South LGA. The cattle, belonging to a herder identified as Idris Adamu, were found after a search operation in nearby mountainous terrain; the suspects abandoned the animals and fled upon sighting the advancing troops. The recovered livestock were subsequently returned to their owner.
The coordinated nature of the attacks – targeting both herders and their means of livelihood – underscores a pattern of violence that often receives less national attention than reprisal massacres. Security sources noted that in another related incident, troops responded to reports of an attack on cattle around Nyerwie Village in Barkin Ladi LGA, where one cow was shot dead by armed assailants who escaped before security forces arrived.
The latest attacks come against a backdrop of escalating tit‑for‑tat violence between Berom militia and Fulani bandits across Plateau State. Just 24 hours before the Sabon Gida killings, a 15‑year‑old herder, Sadi Aliyu, was killed and 13 cattle shot dead in Sabon Gidan Kanar community, also in Jos South LGA. MACBAN chairman Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo condemned that attack as unprovoked, warning that continued targeting of herders and livestock threatens peaceful coexistence and security. “The victim, alongside his colleagues, was tending cattle when the gunmen attacked them. They killed one herder and 13 cattle. About 11 cattle are still missing,” Babayo said. The incident was reported to the Bukuru B Division of the Nigeria Police and Sector 6 of Operation Enduring Peace.
Security analyst Zagazola Makama, in a detailed commentary accompanying the report, drew attention to what he described as a dangerous pattern of selective reporting and selective outrage that perpetuates the violence. “Everyone knows the identity of those often blamed for attacks on Berom communities. They are Fulani Bandits. The media reports it. Activists discuss it. Government officials condemn it. National attention follows,” Zagazola wrote. “Yet there is another question that is rarely asked with the same urgency: Who kills the Fulani victims whose deaths later become the justification for reprisals and revenge attacks? (Berom Militia).” He argued that when herders are ambushed, when livestock are attacked, or when innocent civilians from any community are killed, such incidents deserve the same documentation and outrage as every other attack.
A Plateau State government official, speaking anonymously to Zagazola, reportedly acknowledged the cycle with a stark admission: “This issues happened last week and we know there is going to be retaliation.” The official’s words, published in the security report, reflect a grim predictability that has come to define communal violence in the state. “The greatest disservice being done to Plateau today is not merely the violence itself,” Zagazola wrote. “It is the refusal by some commentators, activists, and sections of the media to examine the full picture. Peace cannot be built on selective memory. Justice cannot be built on selective reporting. And reconciliation cannot be built on narratives that recognize only some victims while erasing others.”
Troops of Operation Enduring Peace have intensified patrols and search operations across Jos South and Barkin Ladi LGAs, but the attacks continue. As of press time, no arrests had been announced in connection with the Sabon Gida killings. The Plateau State Government has not issued an official statement on the June 6 incident. However, Governor Caleb Mutfwang recently announced a ban on night mining activities, night grazing, and grazing by underage herders as part of measures to curb insecurity. Residents and herders alike await decisive action that addresses both sides of the bloody ledger.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com ✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments