At least seven people have been killed and two others injured in a suspected reprisal attack by gunmen believed to be Fulani militias in Dorowa Babuje village, Barkin Ladi LGAof Plateau State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the assault occurred around 7:30 p.m. on February 22, when armed men reportedly stormed a local relaxation spot and opened fire on residents.
Troops from Sector 4 of Operation Safe Haven responded to distress calls but arrived to find seven dead and two critically wounded. The bodies were taken to Barkin Ladi General Hospital mortuary, while the injured were treated at the same facility.
Security forces immediately launched intensified patrols across Dorowa Babuje, Dong, and Lugere villages to pursue the attackers and prevent further violence.
According to security sources cited by Zagazola Makama, the attack was a retaliation for a series of earlier assaults on Fulani herding communities. On February 21, suspected Berom militia reportedly attacked herders in Jol community, Riyom LGA, killing one herder, Muhammed Sani, and abducting another, Faruq Jamilu, while also destroying livestock.
Two days earlier, on February 19, three Fulani youths namely Tahiru Muhammad, Jibrin Salisu, and Abdulmumin Isyak were ambushed near Jong community while returning from Dorowa Babuje; one victim was reportedly beheaded, with spent cartridges, a motorcycle, and an alcohol bottle recovered at the scene.
Further incidents in February involved poisoning and shooting of cattle in villages including Tulus, Rwam, Weren Camp, and Kwi, along with arson attacks on Fulani settlements.
The cycle of violence can be traced back to December 2025, when a series of cattle rustling incidents occurred, 137 cattle were reportedly stolen in Nding community, and on December 12 and 34 in Kukukah on December 13—followed by clashes at an illegal mining site in Tosho community on December 16.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as tensions persist between farming and herding communities in Plateau State. Security officials and local leaders have called for stronger measures to break the ongoing cycle of reprisals and prevent further bloodshed.
