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The Fulani community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State have raised alarm over what it describes as incessant attacks targeted at herdsmen, stealing and poisoning of their cows by ethnic militia groups masquerading as local vigilantes.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by a representative of the Fulani community in council, Abdullahi Yusuf, the targeted attacks have become a worrying pattern aimed at provoking the herdsmen to react so that they will be tagged the aggressors who do not want to live in peace with others in the state.
Yusuf referenced an unprovoked attack on herdsmen on Monday, February 2nd, where he said a group he labeled as “Berom Militias” opened fire on herders who were peacefully grazing their cattle and in the process, rustled an unspecified number of cows in Weren Camp, while three other cows were poisoned in Kwi district of the LGA.
“Innocent Fulani herdsmen have become targets of ethnic militias in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State and no one is talking about these targeted attacks,” Yusuf said in the statement.
“These attacks follow similar patterns where they will trace herders to where they are grazing their cattle, open fire on them, and when the herders flee for safety, they will steal their cows. Another disturbing aspect is the poisoning of our cows which they know are our source of livelihood.”
Yusuf stated that so far, the Fulani community has been advising their people to remain calm and allow security agencies to handle the matter, but regretted that their restraints have been taken for granted.
“The latest incident in Kwi Village is not isolated. The community is now becoming notorious for cattle poisoning, with repeated attacks undermining the safety of pastoralists and their families.
“The deliberate attacks on livestock and herdsmen show a coordinated effort to destabilize Plateau communities and failure to decisively address these threats risks normalizing violence, increasing civilian casualties, and entrenching Plateau State armed militias as de facto security actors.”
Yusuf, who strongly condemned the attacks, described them as “criminal, unacceptable, and a serious threat to peaceful coexistence” among the pastoral community in Riyom.
He called on relevant security agencies to investigate the incidents, identify the perpetrators, and bring them to justice while also appealing to the Plateau State Government to adopt proactive measures to prevent further occurrences and protect lives, property, and livestock in the affected areas.
“We therefore call for urgent joint security measures, including sustained patrols, intelligence-led interdiction of militia cells, and decisive disruption of cattle rustling and poisoning networks to prevent further deterioration of the security situation in Plateau state,” Yusuf added.
‘Ethnic militias targeting us but no one is talking about it’ – Plateau Fulani community cries out
