No fewer than 36 cows were reportedly killed and 42 poisoned on Wednesday around the Tafi Gana junction area of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), in Bassa LGA, Ya'u Idris, confirmed the incident to Daily Trust.
The chairman said the incident occurred around 4:30pm when the cattle were grazing in the area, adding that poison had been placed on garden eggs, which were scattered around the grazing area and eaten by the cattle.
Idris further explained that they had reported the incident to all security agencies including the GOC 3 Division, DSD and police, adding the GOC had visited the scene of the incident.
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"We have about 78 cattle grazing in the area. Currently, 36 have been killed, and the remaining 42 are in critical condition. It's uncertain what will happen to them due to the poisoned garden eggs scattered around.
"We've informed the GOC 3 Division, and he visited the scene. He urged us not to take the law into our hands and promised to investigate those behind the incident and have them arrested," the chairman narrated.
He, however, called on members of the Fulani community to remain calm and not take the law into their hands, hoping that the security forces are on top of the situation.
The poisoning of the cattle came barely two days after 52 people were killed and many others injured in Zikke village, in the same Bassa LGA. Many houses were razed by the perpetrators.
Members of the attacked community accused the herding community of being responsible for the killings on Monday, an accusation that was denied by the herders.
The spokesman of Operation Safe Haven, Major Samson Zhakom, did not respond to a message by our correspondent on the incident at press time.
Night grazing banned
Two days after attacks on Plateau villages, which led to loss of lives and destruction of property, Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Wednesday banned night grazing, transportation of cattle and movements of motorcycles beyond 7pm.
The ban is one of the measures taken by the state government to prevent further conflicts between herding and farming communities.
The governor, who announced the ban in a statewide broadcast on Wednesday, said: "In the late hours of Sunday, April 13, the peace of Zikke village in Bassa LGA was shattered by a brutal attack that claimed the lives of innocent men, women and children.
"This comes while we still mourn the tragic loss of over 50 lives in Bokkos. These attacks are calculated, persistent and painful.
"In response to these attacks, the following measures take effect from Wednesday, April 16th: Night grazing is strictly prohibited. Transportation of cattle after 7pm is banned, and motorcycle movement is restricted from 7pm to 6am statewide.
"I call on traditional rulers and youth leaders to revive local vigilante patrols in partnership with security forces. We must be united in protecting our land, guided by justice and law. Let us remain calm, vigilant and united."
Ban on night cattle transportation contradictory - Drivers
Heavy truck drivers in Jos have expressed frustration over the Plateau State Government's restriction banning the movement of cattle after 7pm, describing it as contradictory and impractical.
Mahmud Jafar, a truck driver, said the policy clashes with an existing law that already prohibits heavy trucks from moving between 6am and 9pm.
"Honestly, we're not happy with the development because there's already a law banning our movement from 6am to 9pm. When does the government expect us to move?" he asked.
"We're pleading with the government to reconsider the nighttime movement," he said.
Another driver, Gambo Hamza, said the conflicting restrictions have created confusion among the drivers.
"The announcement banning our movement with cattle by 7pm contradicts the existing law. This means we can't move with cattle either during the day or at night. We beg the governor to rethink and adjust the time," he pleaded.
MACBAN seeks review of ban timing
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has also weighed in, expressing concerns over the potential impact of the timing on their members' livelihoods.
State chairman, Yusuf Ibrahim Babayo, said while the association supports policies made in good faith, the 7pm ban is problematic.
"We are not against any government decision done in good faith. However, some of our members may still be with their cattle after 7pm, especially at the markets.
"We appeal to the governor to adjust the time to 8pm so our people can return home safely," he said.
Gagdi: Bandits sacked from Zamfara, Sokoto operating in Plateau forests
Speaking on the Plateau incident, the member representing Pankshin Kanke and Kanam Federal Constituency of Plateau State in the House of Representatives, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, said it was unfortunate that the fertile lands in Bokkos, Bassa, Wase and Mangu areas of the state have been turned into a battlefield.
Gagdi, who spoke on Channels Television Politics Today said the failure of successive governments to sanction or hold heads of security agencies to account over security lapses and breaches in their areas of jurisdictions had contributed to the escalating security challenges being witnessed in the country.
He said the recurrent Plateau crisis means different things to different people depending on the context and perspective they view it from.
Gagdi said he believes the attacks and killings in Plateau are largely the handiwork of criminal elements and bandits rather than communal or religious.
The lawmaker blamed the crisis on bandits and militias dislodged from Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi, who are now operating within forests around the borders between Taraba and Plateau in Kanam and Wase axis of Plateau State.
He said to address the crisis, there was an urgent need for the government to set up a joint security outfit that would comprise all the tribes in the crisis areas to engender trust.
Gagdi also emphasised the need for the government to tackle the cattle rustling syndicate whose activities often lead to some of the crisis and reprisal killings of innocent citizens.
DIG visits attacked communities
In the wake of recent attacks in Bokkos and Bassa LGAs, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Kwazhi Bzigu Dali, who is overseeing operations in the state, paid a visit to Bassa to assess the security situation.
DIG Kwazhi conducted both aerial and ground surveillance of affected and vulnerable areas and later met with the Chairman of Bassa LGA, community leaders, and other key stakeholders.
He assured residents that the Inspector General of Police is committed to restoring peace, announcing the deployment of additional security assets including Police Mobile Force (PMF) units, Special Intervention Squads, Armoured Personnel Carriers, aerial surveillance helicopters and other operational resources.
Plateau killings national disgrace - Northern elders
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has strongly condemned the Plateau killings, describing them as barbaric and a shame to the nation.
Speaking to journalists, NEF spokesman Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, criticised the federal government's inaction.
"The state that was once a beacon of unity is now a theatre of bloodshed. The federal government must deploy well-equipped forces immediately and ensure justice is done," he said.
Jiddere emphasised that the perpetrators must be swiftly identified, prosecuted and brought to justice.
He further called for adequate compensation for victims and the creation of an independent investigative panel, with a mandate to make its findings public.
NGF condemns fresh violence, calls for peace
The Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) expressed sorrow over the renewed violence in Plateau State, which has claimed several lives.
In a statement signed by NGF Chairman, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the forum described the killings as unfortunate and a setback to recent peace efforts.
"We call on community and religious leaders to support Governor Caleb Mutfwang in dousing tensions and building sustainable peace. These lives lost are not just numbers--they represent dreams and families. The violence must end," the statement read.
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FG reaffirms commitment to tackling insecurity
The federal government has reiterated its commitment to ending insecurity across the country.
Speaking at the first quarter media stakeholders' seminar for top media executives in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris--represented by the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Jibrin Ndace--highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen national security.
He pointed to recent investments in military hardware, personnel training and enhanced intelligence gathering as clear evidence of the administration's determination to tackle security threats.
According to him, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, national security remains a top priority, with a strategic focus on equipping and empowering the nation's security architecture.
The minister noted that the government is confronting challenges such as banditry, insurgency and terrorism through a coordinated and sustained approach.
He also called on the media to play a responsible role in the fight against insecurity, urging them to avoid giving undue publicity to terrorists and criminal elements.
Instead, he urged journalists to highlight the bravery of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the resilience of affected communities.
Obi to FG: Provide security, not promises
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged the federal government to stop issuing statements and instead take concrete action to protect Nigerians.
In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Obi said: "No nation can thrive when its citizens are slaughtered in their homes without consequence. The government must deploy strategic operations and dismantle the networks behind these atrocities."
He described the attacks as systematic and coordinated, calling for swift justice and accountability.
Additional report by Abbas Jimoh, Itodo Daniel Sule & Philip Shimnom Clement
