Monday, January 19, 2026 - One person was killed and two others injured when gunmen carried out a retaliatory attack on Kasuwa Denkeli village in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State in the early hours of Saturday, following the recent rustling of 102 cows in neighbouring Riyom Local Government Area.
The attack, which occurred at about 2:30 am, came days after
armed men reportedly drove away 102 cows from Dan Sokoto in the Ganawuri
District of Riyom LGA, escalating tensions along the Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Jos
South axis.
Residents of Kasuwa Denkeli told Zagazola Makama that the
assailants stormed the community and opened fire on houses.
“They started shooting indiscriminately. One person was
killed instantly, while two others were hit by bullets,” a resident said.
Police sources confirmed the incident and said security
operatives responded immediately after receiving a distress call.
“On receipt of the report, a team led by the Divisional
Police Officer (DPO), Barkin Ladi, moved swiftly to the scene to contain the
situation,” a police source said.
The source added that the two injured victims were rushed to
Jos University Teaching Hospital for medical attention, while “the corpse of
the deceased was deposited at the General Hospital morgue in Barkin Ladi for
autopsy.”
According to the police, “We are working to identify and
apprehend those responsible for this attack. Residents are urged to remain calm
and continue to cooperate with security agencies by providing useful
information.”
Further findings by Zagazola Makama indicated that
Saturday’s incident forms part of a wider chain of violent reprisals linked to
livestock rustling in Plateau State. The tension reportedly intensified on
Wednesday, January 14, when no fewer than 102 cows were rustled at about 11 am
in Dan Sokoto, Ganawuri District of Riyom LGA.
Local sources alleged that the attackers, identified by
witnesses as armed militia from the Vom District in Jos South LGA, stormed the
area and drove away the cattle at gunpoint.
“The attackers were heavily armed, and the herders had no
option but to flee for their lives,” a local source said.
The stolen cattle were said to belong to Alhaji Nalado of
Gargari around Tashan Nashanan and Malam Ango of Sabon Kaura around Kudadu,
both in Jos East LGA, although the rustling occurred in Riyom LGA.
As of the time of filing this report, none of the cattle had
been recovered.
Residents further alleged that areas such as Vwang in Jos
South and parts of Fan District in Barkin Ladi LGA have increasingly become
“no-go” zones where rustled cattle are kept, making recovery efforts difficult.
Security sources noted that the Ganawuri rustling followed a
series of livestock-related attacks across Plateau State in recent weeks.
“These repeated incidents have deepened mistrust and
increased the risk of reprisal attacks in communities that are already on
edge,” a security source said.
Observers warned that unless decisive steps are taken to
address livestock rustling and related violence, the cycle of attacks and
counter-attacks may continue across the affected areas.
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