Fulani herder killed alongside cattle in Plateau State attack

A 13‑year‑old herder, Abubakar Wada, and 36 of his cattle were killed by suspected hoodlums in the Fan community of Barikin Ladi Local Government Area, Plateau State. Fulani leaders have condemned the attack as unprovoked and the latest in a series of targeted assaults against Fulani herders in the state. Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, the Plateau State chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, said the teenager and two other herders were ambushed near the Inzon community. “The gunmen opened fire without any provocation,” Babayo said. “Abubakar was only 13 years old. He died with his cows. They also shot and killed 36 cattle and drove away 49 others that are still missing.”

The incident has heightened fear of renewed communal violence in one of Nigeria’s most fragile regions. Between September and October, 27 Fulani herders have been killed and more than 160 cattle shot dead in various parts of the state, according to Babayo. Despite reports to security agencies, no arrests have been made. Officials of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association allege that the latest assault follows a familiar pattern of attacks on pastoralists in local governments long identified as flashpoints of farmer‑herder conflict.

The Berom Youth Moulders Association has denied involvement in the killing, stating that suspected Fulani armed groups carried out separate attacks on Berom communities, killing one man and accusing herders of forceful grazing into farmlands and residential areas. The 3 Division of the Nigerian Army has confirmed that an investigation has been launched.

Security analysts warn that continued unprovoked killings of herders could trigger retaliatory attacks and reignite Plateau’s long‑running cycle of violence. The incident underscores the deepening distrust between Fulani herders and farming communities, despite repeated government promises of peace. Tensions have remained high since the December 2023 Christmas‑Eve massacres, which left scores dead.