Fulani Community in Plateau Demands End to Unprovoked Attacks on Herders

The Fulani community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State has called for an immediate end to what it described as recurring, unprovoked attacks on herders and the destruction of their livestock by local youths.

In a statement issued on behalf of the community by its Secretary, Abdullahi Yusuf, the group condemned the repeated assaults, warning that continued provocation could lead to reprisal attacks and further bloodshed.

The statement, titled “Another Attack on Fulani Herders in Riyom” detailed the most recent incident in which suspected Berom youths allegedly attacked a Fulani herdsman, inflicting life-threatening injuries and killing one cow while wounding eight others.

“The Fulani community in Riyom wishes to draw the attention of the public to yet another unprovoked attack on our people” Yusuf said. “At about 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 2, 2025, suspected Berom youths attacked a Fulani herder, Aliyu Sale Shehu, around Rim community, Rim Ward, Riyom LGA, leaving him with gunshot wounds. In the same incident, one cow was killed and several others injured.”

Yusuf lamented that the assault was not an isolated case but part of a growing pattern of hostility against Fulani herders in the area. He noted that despite repeated appeals, the attacks continue without consequences for the perpetrators.

“They will attack our people mercilessly, and if some of the affected herders attempt to defend themselves, they are quickly labeled as aggressors or bandits,” the statement read.

He further criticized the silence of the authorities, saying, “Since the attack on Sale, there has been no response, no investigation, and no justice from either the government or local leaders. This silence emboldens the attackers and worsens the suffering of innocent Fulani families.”

The Fulani community called on security agencies and the Plateau State Government to intervene urgently and prevent the situation from escalating into a wider conflict.

“The Fulani are equal citizens of Riyom and Plateau State,” Yusuf emphasized. “Our lives and property deserve protection under the law. Enough is enough.”