Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
One person was reportedly killed and seven others injured when gunmen attacked a vehicle carrying traders returning from the Kara Bukuru Livestock Market in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday, October 4, 2026.
The incident occurred around the Bukuru area, with reports placing the attack near the Total Filling Station at Yelwa Club Junction and the wider Bukuru Low-Cost area. The victims were travelling from the livestock market towards Bassa Local Government Area when the vehicle came under attack.
The latest accounts from Vanguard and Trust Radio, citing sources and the Plateau State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), differ slightly on the precise time of the incident. Trust Radio quoted MACBAN chairman Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo as saying the attack occurred at about 5:30 p.m., while Vanguard reported that sources put the time at about 7 p.m.
The number of casualties is also clearer in the later reports than in the initial account attributed to security sources. While an earlier report said seven passengers were shot, subsequent reports independently stated that one person was killed and seven others sustained injuries.
Vanguard identified the deceased as Musa Abubakar. The newspaper reported that gunmen opened fire on traders returning from the Kara Bukuru market and that seven others were injured in the attack. Trust Radio similarly reported one death and seven injuries, citing the MACBAN chairman's confirmation.
The victims were reportedly taken to hospital for treatment. However, details about the conditions of those injured were not immediately available.
MACBAN confirmed the attack and condemned it, describing it as another incident involving people returning from the livestock market after conducting what it described as lawful business activities.
In a statement signed by Babayo, the association called on security agencies to investigate the incident and identify those responsible. It specifically urged the Nigeria Police Force, Operation Safe Haven, the Department of State Services and other relevant security agencies to strengthen protection along routes used by traders and pastoralists travelling to and from the market.
The association also appealed for restraint, urging its members and other affected communities not to resort to retaliation.
“No Nigerian should be attacked or killed because of his or her ethnic background or occupation,” Babayo said, according to reports of the statement.
The latest attack has heightened concerns about the safety of people travelling along routes connected to the Kara Bukuru Livestock Market, particularly after a separate deadly incident in September.
On September 20, five Fulani men travelling towards the Kara cattle market were reportedly killed around the Kassa axis of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area. The victims were identified in reports as Buhari Yusuf, Aminu Ahmad, Nasiru Abdullahi, Gambo Abubakar and Muhammad Abdul Rahman.
The September killings were also condemned by MACBAN, which called for an investigation. TheCable reported at the time that the victims were travelling to a market in Jos South when their vehicle came under attack near a security checkpoint.
The September incident occurred amid renewed tensions in several parts of Plateau State involving attacks on farming communities, pastoralists and travellers. Reports of violence have continued to generate concerns among residents and community organisations over the security of major routes connecting rural communities and commercial centres.
The Plateau State Government subsequently imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu local government areas following renewed violence in the affected areas. The government said the measure was intended to assist security agencies in stabilising the areas, protecting residents and preventing further breakdown of law and order.
The latest Bukuru incident, however, occurred in Jos South Local Government Area, outside the three local government areas covered by that curfew.
MACBAN said the recurrence of attacks involving people travelling to or from the Kara Bukuru market was creating fear among pastoralists and other traders whose livelihoods depend on the market.
The association also recalled an earlier attack involving herders near the Conoil Filling Station in December 2025, saying the repeated incidents required stronger security measures along the market route.
The livestock market serves as an important commercial point for people involved in cattle trading and related businesses. The safety of routes leading to and from the market is therefore significant not only to pastoralists but also to traders and other residents who use the roads.
Security agencies have yet to publicly establish the identity or motive of the attackers involved in Sunday's incident. There has also been no confirmed information identifying any individual or group as responsible.
Trust Radio reported that its enquiries to the spokesperson of Operation Enduring Peace, Captain Polycarp Oteh, and the Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Alabo Alfred, had not received responses at the time of publication.
That means the available information remains preliminary, with the strongest confirmation coming from MACBAN and reports by multiple Nigerian news organisations. The precise circumstances of the shooting, including the identities of the attackers and whether any arrests have been made, remain unclear.
The conflicting early details about the time and casualty description also underline the need for caution in reporting the incident. While an initial account described seven passengers as having been shot, subsequent reports established a reported death and seven injuries.
The attack has nevertheless renewed calls for authorities to improve security around the market corridor and prevent further violence involving travellers.
MACBAN urged the Plateau State Government and security agencies to take measures that would protect people regardless of ethnicity or occupation. It also called on its members to remain calm and avoid retaliatory attacks, stressing that disputes and allegations should be handled through lawful channels.
As of the latest reports reviewed on Monday, October 5, no security agency had publicly announced an arrest or provided a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding the attack.
The incident therefore remains under investigation, while the reported death of Musa Abubakar and injuries to seven other traders have added to growing concerns about the safety of people travelling between the Kara Bukuru livestock market and communities in Plateau State.
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