Three Fulani youths slaughtered by suspected Mwaghavul militia buried in Mangu
By: Zagazola Makama
Three young Fulani herders allegedly killed by suspected Mwaghavul militia in Alohom community, Sabon Gari District of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, have been buried.
The victims — Garzali Shuibu, 18; Bashiru Yakubu, 14; and Salim Abubakar, 15 — were reportedly attacked while grazing in the area on Saturday, Sept. 12.
Their Janazah prayer was observed before they were laid to rest, as grief and anger continued to grip the community following the killings.
According to a military situation report obtained by Zagazola Makama, troops of Sector 8, Operation Enduring Peace, were alerted after receiving information that herders had come under attack at Alohom.
The soldiers deployed from Sabon Gari moved to the location and reportedly found the bodies of the three youths, alongside 36 cattle that had been shot dead.
Another 12 cattle sustained gunshot wounds, while two other members of the herding group were reported missing.
Surviving members of the group alleged that the attackers were armed men suspected to be members of the Mwaghavul militia operating around Alohom, Gaude and the wider Mangu Halle areas.
The allegation remains subject to investigation by security agencies.
There were also claims by some Fulani residents that personnel of a sister security agency were sighted around the area during the incident but allegedly failed to prevent the killings.
That claim is also being investigated.
Empty tear-gas canisters were reportedly recovered from the scene, although their connection with the attack had yet to be established.
The killing of the three youths, particularly 14-year-old Bashiru Yakubu, has further inflamed tensions in the area.
It is difficult to comprehend how a community can lose three young people in such a violent manner, with one of the victims barely into his teenage years. These were not statistics; they were young lives, sons and members of families whose future has now been brutally cut short.
The incident has also raised fears of possible reprisal attacks, especially amid angry reactions circulating within the affected community.
Security agencies must urgently establish what happened, identify and arrest those responsible and prevent the killings from becoming another trigger for retaliatory violence.
Troops have intensified patrols and are dominating the area to prevent further attacks, locate the missing persons and restore confidence among residents.
