Cattle rustlers kill 25-year-old herder, cow in Plateau attack

A 25-year-old herder identified as Safiyanu Abubakar has been killed by suspected cattle rustlers following an attack in Gora village, Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The cattle rustlers also allegedly killed one cow during the attack.

Zagazola Makama, a security analyst, in a post on X on Friday, quoted security sources as saying that the incident occurred at about 9:30 a.m. on October 1, while the herder was grazing his cattle in the area.

According to Makama, “Troops of Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, Operation Enduring Peace, reportedly responded to a distress report and proceeded to the scene, where they found Abubakar dead from gunshot wounds.”

He further explained that the troops also discovered that one cow had been killed, while another sustained gunshot wounds during the attack, adding that the assailants had fled before the arrival of the security personnel.

The deceased’s body and the affected cattle were subsequently evacuated and handed over to members of his family.

According to the security sources, intelligence-gathering efforts had been activated to track down the attackers and establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

He said efforts were also underway by the troops to engage Fulani leaders in Jos East LGA and calm tensions to prevent possible reprisal attacks.

Makama said the killing came amid continuing security concerns over attacks on herders, cattle rustling and retaliatory violence in parts of Plateau State.

He said security agencies had continued to urge communities to remain calm, avoid taking the law into their own hands and provide credible information that could assist investigations.

According to him, “The circumstances of the attack and the identities of the perpetrators remain under investigation.”