At least three persons were killed on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, in fresh attacks on communities in Plateau State, as a cycle of reprisals intensified following the shooting of two Fulani youths in Jos South Local Government Area (LGA).
According to security expert Zagazola Makama, the latest incidents occurred in Jol community, Riyom LGA, and Gero in Gyel District of Jos South LGA, where armed attackers struck residential areas, killing several residents.
Those reported dead include Pius Luka Dida, Markus Danladi, Peter Ayuba and Acham Ayuba.
The violence came hours after a Fulani youth was killed and another injured in an ambush in Jos South, an incident security sources say triggered the retaliatory attacks.
Reacting to the killings, the Berom Youths Moulder Association (BYM) condemned what it described as sustained attacks on indigenous communities and called for the proscription of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), as well as the prosecution of its leadership.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong, the group accused MACBAN of complicity in the violence and rejected claims that Berom communities were responsible for attacks on Fulani settlements.
BYM leader, Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, described the situation as “a grim reminder of the sustained and systematic terror being unleashed on indigenous communities of Plateau State.”
The group further alleged that armed herders had destroyed dry-season farmlands in Kwi community, resulting in losses estimated at over N14 million. It demanded compensation for affected families and the deployment of additional security personnel to vulnerable areas.
However, security checks indicate that the January 6 attacks followed closely the killing of a Fulani youth and the shooting of another earlier the same day in Jos South, a development not referenced in the Berom youths’ statement and one that highlights the sharply divided narratives surrounding the crisis.
According to security sources, two Fulani youths, Zakariya Abdullahi and Jibrin Musa, were ambushed at about 8:00 pm while returning from Gero village in Jos South LGA.
Abdullahi was killed on the spot, while Musa sustained gunshot injuries and was rushed to hospital for treatment.
The attack was attributed to suspected Berom militia and reportedly occurred along the same axis where later retaliatory violence was recorded.
According to observers, the incident fits a recurring pattern in Plateau State, where attacks on one group are swiftly followed by reprisals against another, further entrenching communal mistrust and insecurity.
The latest violence comes against the backdrop of several deadly incidents in recent weeks. On December 31, 2025, at least seven farmers were killed in Bum community, Chugwi area of Vwang District, Jos South LGA, despite prior security alerts warning of possible attacks.
That incident was linked to earlier shootings on December 27, 2025, when five Fulani youths were attacked near a filling station along Bukuru Express Road while returning from Bukuru Cattle Market. The victims sustained critical injuries, with suspects believed to be members of a Berom militia.
Tensions had already been heightened by a December 16, 2025, attack on an illegal mining site at Tosho community in Barkin Ladi LGA, where 12 miners were killed and three others abducted by armed Fulani bandits.
The attack reportedly followed cattle rustling incidents, including the theft of 137 cattle in Nding community and cases of livestock poisoning across Jos East and Riyom LGAs.
Subsequent reprisals included the killing of four children in Dorong village, Foron District, Barkin Ladi LGA, as well as repeated attacks on Gero village that resulted in deaths, injuries and loss of livestock, underscoring the deepening cycle of violence across the state.
