At least three siblings were reportedly killed and 150 cattle rustled in a fresh attack on Nukur village, located in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The incident, which occurred on Thursday, was confirmed by the Plateau State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, during a press briefing in Jos on Saturday.
According to Babayo, “The victims were attacked while grazing. Their bodies were discovered Friday evening with the help of Operation Safe Haven personnel, who joined the search and swiftly responded to the scene.”
He described the attack as “heartbreaking and unprovoked,” alleging that youths from the Berom ethnic group were behind it.
Narrating his personal loss, the father of the deceased herders, Ibrahim Yusuf, recounted: “Yesterday, around 12 a.m., I received the heartbreaking news that my children were attacked and killed. I quickly reported to security operatives and we moved to the scene together. We found their bodies and have since buried them. The attackers also rustled 150 cattle, although some were later recovered from their houses. The attack was devastating.”
In addition to the rustled livestock, 23 cattle were reportedly killed during the raid.
Berom Youth Group Denies Involvement
Reacting to the allegations, the President of the Berom Youths Moulder-Association (BYM), Barr. Dalyop Solomon, strongly denied any involvement of Berom youths in the attack.
“We condemn all acts of violence, regardless of the perpetrators. However, we maintain that our community has never attacked anyone,” Solomon said.
He further urged security agencies to carry out a thorough investigation to uncover those responsible. “We call on Operation Safe Haven and other security agencies to deploy personnel to the area to prevent a possible retaliatory attack by armed Fulani groups. It is troubling that they are accusing Nukur youths without any proof,” he added.
At the time of filing this report, the spokesperson for Operation Safe Haven, Major Samson Zhakom, had not responded to inquiries regarding the incident.
