Missing herder, four livestock killed by suspected militia elements in Mangu, Plateau

By: Zagazola Makama 

Troops of Operation Enduring Peace have recovered the body of a 13-year-old herder who was declared missing after he went out to graze cattle in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, with four livestock also found dead in what military authorities suspect was an attack by armed militia.

Sources said the victim, identified as Mustapha Abdul Kadir, left home on July 8 to graze cattle around the bushes near Gauge Village but failed to return, prompting concern among family members and the community.

According to the sources, troops of Sector 8, Sub-Sector 81, in conjunction with local security personnel and community members, launched a search-and-rescue operation in the area.

The operation led to the discovery of the teenager’s body on Thursday in a shallow well, alongside four dead cattle believed to have been killed during the attack.

The military said preliminary findings indicated that the victim was attacked by suspected militia while grazing the livestock before his body was dumped in the well.

The remains of the deceased were handed over to his family for burial in accordance with local customs.

The military said stakeholders in the community had been engaged to prevent any breakdown of law and order and to avert possible reprisal attacks.

It added that efforts were ongoing to track down and arrest the perpetrators, while troops had intensified patrols across the Operation Enduring Peace Joint Operations Area to protect communities, schools and other critical national infrastructure.

The incident is the latest in a series of security challenges affecting parts of Mangu LGA, where attacks linked to armed groups have continued to threaten lives and livelihoods.

Security sources said community leaders and other stakeholders had been engaged to calm tensions and prevent reprisals, while efforts were underway to identify and arrest those responsible for the attack.

The killing comes amid persistent violence in parts of Plateau State, where recurring clashes involving farming and herding communities have claimed scores of lives and destroyed property over the years. 

Attacks targeting either farmers or herders often trigger immediate retaliatory violence, reinforcing a cycle of reprisals that has remained one of the major drivers of insecurity in the state.