Unreported Attacks Fueling Violence in Plateau, Stakeholders Urge Decisive Action
By: Zagazola Makama
Beneath the surface of Plateau State’s persistent security challenges lies a disturbing trend: the rising tide of unreported and isolated attacks, amid a silence of conspiracy, quietly fueling cycles of violence across rural communities.
The recent recovery of 58 rustled cows by Nigerian security forces in Hiktup Village, Kombun District, Mangu Local Government Area points to a much larger, largely hidden crisis that security experts say demands urgent government intervention.
According to police sources, the cows were recovered during a routine patrol on Friday evening and are currently in police custody as efforts continue to trace their rightful owners.
Zagazola Makama has previously reported how the cattle were rustled from herders in Murish village, Mangu Local Government Area after one harder was killed by a group of about 30 youths from the area. One other herder, 21-year-old Abdullahi Suleiman, remains missing. Of the rustled livestock, 11 were initially recovered.
However, response agencies remained silent, with no arrests made despite the fact that the perpetrators are known and Abdullahi Suleiman is still missing.
While this recovery represents a success for law enforcement, many similar incidents across Plateau’s vast rural landscape go unreported, either due to fear, communal distrust, or lack of access to justice. In many cases, even if perpetrators are captured, local government chairmen and traditional rulers ensure that the cases do not see the light of day.
These isolated attacks on some cattle settlements, in the name of fighting bandits, have become flashpoints for deadly reprisal attacks between farming and herding communities in Plateau State. Those who dare to speak out against it are often labeled as bandits’ apologists or terrorist sympathizers. The narrative suggests that Fulani herders are invading lands and displacing local communities.
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On Monday, gunmen reportedly killed a herder named Hamza Sulaiman in the Shen community, Jos South LGA of Plateau State. The attack occurred around 12:30 p.m. while six herders were grazing. Three cattle and several sheep were also killed.
In a separate incident, 26 cattle were allegedly poisoned near the INEC office in Mangu LGA. Musa Muhammad, Secretary of MACBAN in Mangu, stated that the cattle were grazing when the poisoning occurred around 1:30 p.m. Local security personnel, including the DSS and police, visited the scene and confirmed the deaths, discovering poisoned mangoes and contaminated water.
Earlier, on April 16, about 36 cattle, reportedly belonging to one Samaila Nuhu, were poisoned at Tafi Gana Junction in Zanwar Ward of Bassa Local Government Area. The government has stated it is investigating the matter through the Ministry of Livestock Development, Veterinary Services, and Fisheries.
Security analysts are concerned that unless urgent steps are taken to address the root causes of these crimes, the state risks an escalation of violence. Each individual killed, each stolen cow, each poisoned animal represents more than just an economic loss; it triggers a cycle of revenge, widening the fault lines between communities.
The inability to swiftly prosecute culprits and ensure sincere mediation of these disputes has emboldened criminal elements, with some groups exploiting the situation to advance ethnic and religious divisions.
Stakeholders are therefore calling on the Plateau State Government and security agencies to take decisive actions against individuals and groups found to be fueling the crisis, whether through direct attacks or by inciting retaliatory violence.
They also advocate for the strengthening of community policing initiatives, the deployment of more surveillance teams in vulnerable areas, and the establishment of a comprehensive livestock identification and tracking system to against cattle rustling. Please end the Crises Now.
Zagazola Makama is a Counter-Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region