Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A 15-year-old herder, Sadi Aliyu, has been killed by suspected gunmen in an unprovoked attack on a grazing community in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, with 13 cattle shot dead on the spot and 11 others still missing, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has confirmed.
The attack occurred while the teenage herder and his colleagues were tending cattle around the Sabon Gidan Kanar community, according to the Plateau State Chairman of MACBAN, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, who confirmed the incident to journalists in Jos on Saturday, June 6, 2026.
Babayo said the assailants stormed the grazing field and opened fire without provocation. “The victim, alongside his colleagues, was rearing cattle when the gunmen attacked them. They shot one herder dead and killed 13 cattle. About 11 cattle are still missing,” he stated.
The MACBAN chairman condemned the attack as a serious threat to peace and security in Plateau State. “The continuous targeting of innocent herders and their livestock is unacceptable and poses a serious threat to peaceful coexistence and security in Plateau State,” he added.
Babayo disclosed that the incident had been reported to the Bukuru B Division of the Nigeria Police Force and Sector 6 of Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP) for investigation and necessary action. He called on security agencies to thoroughly investigate the attack, arrest those responsible, and ensure that justice is served.
The MACBAN chairman also urged governments at all levels to take proactive measures to protect the lives and property of all citizens, regardless of their ethnic or occupational background. While appealing for calm, he advised members of the herding community and other affected persons against taking the law into their own hands, urging them to allow security agencies to carry out their responsibilities. “The association remains committed to peace, dialogue, and lawful means of addressing grievances,” he said.
The incident comes amid renewed efforts by the Plateau State Government to strengthen security across the state. Governor Caleb Mutfwang recently announced a ban on night mining activities, directing that all mining operations must end by 5 p.m. daily. The governor also banned night grazing and prohibited grazing by underage herders as part of measures aimed at curbing insecurity.
The attack occurred less than 24 hours after separate incidents of cattle killings and rustling in the same local government area, according to a security report by counter‑insurgency analyst Zagazola Makama. In a separate operation earlier on June 5, troops of Operation Peace recovered 28 cattle allegedly rustled by suspected Berom militia around Gero community in Jos South LGA and returned them to their owner, a herder identified as Idris Adamu.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from Operation Enduring Peace were unsuccessful, as the spokesman of the operation, Captain Polycarp Oteh, had yet to respond to inquiries as of the time of filing this report.
The tragic killing of the teenage herder has deepened concerns over escalating violence between criminal gangs and herding communities in Plateau State, where attacks on herders and livestock have become frequent. Members of the Fulani community have been urged to remain law‑abiding and refrain from reprisals, even as MACBAN insists that justice must be served for Sadi Aliyu and other victims of violence across the state.
As of Sunday morning, June 7, no arrests had been announced, and the 11 missing cattle remained unaccounted for.
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