102 cattle rustled by gunmen in Plateau community

At least one hundred and two cattle were allegedly rustled on Wednesday after gunmen attacked the herding community in Ganawuri community of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. The chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in the state, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, who confirmed the incident to journalists in Jos, condemned […]

At least one hundred and two cattle were allegedly rustled on Wednesday after gunmen attacked the herding community in Ganawuri community of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in the state, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, who confirmed the incident to journalists in Jos, condemned the attack, describing it as “a brazen case of cattle rustling“.

Narrating the incident, the MACBAN chairman said, “The incident occurred on January 14, 2026, at about 11am in Ganawuri District, Riyom Local Government Area, Plateau State.

“According to eyewitness accounts, a group of armed individuals, allegedly from Vom District, Jos South LGA, stormed the herding community and opened fire on herders, making off with approximately 102 cows.

“As law-abiding citizens, MACBAN has consistently reported attacks and rustling of cattle to all security agencies in Plateau State. Unfortunately, attacks on herders and livestock have become a recurring menace in various communities, causing immense distress and economic hardship.

“We have again reported the incident to personnel of Operation Enduring Peace, who said they are on top of the situation,“ the chairman said.

Babayo, however, called on the security forces to take immediate action to help them recover the rustled cattle and bring the perpetrators to justice, appealing to the government to intensify efforts to address what they described as incessant attacks and ensure the safety of lives and property.

The MACBAN chairman accused members of the Berom ethnic group of launching the attack, but the Berom Youth Moulder- Association (BYM) denied the allegation, describing it as baseless.

National Publicity Secretary of BYM, Rwang Tengwong, who denied the allegation, said, “It is just confirmed that Miyetti Allah has personal issues with the Berom people.

“If not, why is it that cattle are rustled in Ganawuri and Meyyiti Allah is alleging Berom people did it? Does it mean that the Berom people have conspired with the people of Ganawuri to rustle cattle?

“Let us be sincere to ourselves. Why is it that when cattle are rustled anywhere, the Fulani will allege that the Berom did it, while every day they are killing Berom people? Moreover, there are cases where Fulanis rustle each other’s cows.

The Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 3rd Division, Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, had not responded to messages from our correspondent at press time regarding the attack.