Farmer killed by Fulani bandits in fresh Plateau attack as cycle of violence deepens
By Zagazola Makama
A farmer has been killed in a fresh attack by yet-to-be-identified gunmen in Butura Gida village, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, in the latest incident pointing to the persistent cycle of violence between farming and herding communities.
Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the attack occurred at about 7:47 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8, prompting troops of Sector 5 of Operation Enduring peace to mobilise to the community after receiving a distress call.
On arrival, the troops found the victim’s lifeless body. The attackers had fled the scene before security personnel arrived, and no contact was made.
A manhunt has since been launched to identify and apprehend those responsible for the killing.
The latest incident came less than 24 hours after a 13-year-old herder, Mustapha Abdul Kadir, was found dead alongside four cattle in Mangu Local Government Area in what authorities suspected was an attack by armed militia.
Earlier the same day, two residents were also killed in Torok community in Riyom Local Government Area in an attack blamed on suspected Fulani bandits.
The succession of attacks illustrates the entrenched and increasingly vicious pattern of retaliatory violence that has continued to plague Plateau State.
Killings of farmers are often followed by attacks on herders, while attacks on herders frequently trigger reprisals against farming communities, creating a dangerous cycle that has claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed livelihoods over the years.
Despite sustained military deployments, peace meetings and community engagements, mistrust between the two groups remains deep, with criminal elements exploiting the fragile security situation to perpetrate violence.
Zagazola warn that unless perpetrators on all sides are brought to justice and local grievances addressed, the state risks remaining trapped in an endless cycle of revenge attacks.
