Three herders were killed and two others wounded after gunmen opened fire on a group grazing cattle near the Tanjol community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday, July 19, 2026. The attack occurred around 2 p.m., according to a youth leader in Mahanga, Abdullahi Ibrahim Yusuf, who identified the deceased as Abdurrazak Abdullahi, 22; Husaini Idris, 23; and Yusuf Tukur, 19. The two survivors are Ayuba Adam and Sadi Adamu. Yusuf added that one of the herders' cattle was also killed in the attack, while another sustained injuries.
MACBAN Condemns Attack on Herdsmen
The Plateau State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, publicly condemned the attack, calling it an unprovoked killing. 'MACBAN expresses its profound sorrow and strongly condemns the tragic killing of three Fulani herders in an incident reported to have occurred around Tanjol in Jol Ward of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday, 19 July 2026, at approximately 2:30 p.m.,' Babayo said. 'According to information available to MACBAN, the victims were reportedly grazing their cattle when they came under attack.' MACBAN attributed the violence to members of the Berom ethnic group. Despite this accusation, Babayo urged herders to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands. He also called on security forces to identify and prosecute those responsible.
Berom Group Rejects MACBAN's Allegation
The Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM), led by Barr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, rejected MACBAN's account entirely. BYM Publicity Secretary Rwang Tengwong described the allegation as propaganda and 'a calculated attempt to distort the truth.' According to Tengwong, the individuals described as victims were actually part of an armed group that invaded the Jol community and were neutralised after local vigilantes resisted the attack. He further alleged that the assault on Jol left one Thomas Damang, 48, dead and three other community members injured.
Background of Tensions
This incident follows a pattern of violence in the region. Earlier, gunmen killed the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) chairman, Ardo Muhammad, and his companion in Benue State, sparking tension in Otukpo and neighbouring communities. The state police spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, said the command has launched an investigation into that ambush attack. In another attack, suspected armed herders stormed Nobi community in Otukpo LGA, Benue State, killing at least 16 residents in an early morning attack. Angry youths and women took to the streets of Otukpo, blocking the Enugu–Otukpo and Makurdi–Otukpo roads to protest the killings. Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the attack as a barbaric assault and directed all security agencies to intensify surveillance across affected communities.
