One person was killed and two others injured in the early hours of Saturday when gunmen attacked Kasuwa Denkeli village in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State, in what residents described as a retaliatory assault linked to recent large-scale cattle rustling in neighbouring Riyom LGA.
The attack occurred at about 2:30 a.m., days after armed men reportedly rustled 102 cows from Dan Sokoto in Ganawuri District of Riyom LGA, an incident that has heightened tensions across the Barkin Ladi–Riyom–Jos South axis.
Residents told Akelicious that the assailants stormed Kasuwa Denkeli and opened fire on houses, killing one person on the spot and leaving two others with gunshot wounds. The injured victims were rushed to the Jos University Teaching Hospital for treatment, while the body of the deceased was deposited at the General Hospital morgue in Barkin Ladi for autopsy.
Police sources confirmed the incident, saying officers responded promptly to a distress call. “On receipt of the report, a team led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Barkin Ladi, immediately moved to the scene,” a police source said. The police added that investigations had commenced and efforts were ongoing to identify and arrest those responsible, urging residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies.
Saturday’s attack is the latest in a series of incidents that began on Wednesday, January 14, when no fewer than 102 cows were rustled around 11:00 a.m. in Dan Sokoto, Ganawuri District of Riyom LGA. Local sources said the attackers drove away the cattle at gunpoint. The animals reportedly belong to Alhaji Nalado of Gargari and Malam Ango of Sabon Kaura, both from Jos East LGA, although they were taken from Ganawuri in Riyom.
Witnesses described the attackers as heavily armed, forcing herders to flee. As of the time of filing this report, none of the cattle had been recovered despite security alerts. Residents also alleged that areas such as Vwang in Jos South and parts of Fan District in Barkin Ladi are increasingly regarded as “no-go” zones where rustled cattle are hidden, complicating recovery efforts. Security agencies have not confirmed these claims.
The Ganawuri incident followed other livestock-related attacks across Plateau State this month. At least seven cows were reportedly poisoned in Kwi village, Riyom LGA, while three others were shot dead near Kuru Gadabiyu in Barkin Ladi LGA. Residents say the incidents have deepened mistrust and raised fears of reprisals in communities already on edge.
Earlier in January, coordinated attacks on Jol community in Riyom LGA and Gero in Gyel District of Jos South LGA left three people dead, following the shooting of two Fulani youths in Jos South, one of whom later died. December 2025 also recorded a spike in violence, including the rustling of over 130 cattle in Nding community, livestock poisoning in parts of Jos East and Riyom LGAs, and deadly attacks in Dorong and Gero villages.
On December 16, 2025, an attack on an illegal mining site in Tosho community, Barkin Ladi LGA, left 12 miners dead and others abducted, with security sources linking the violence to earlier cattle rustling in the area.
Observers note that in Plateau State, attacks on livestock often trigger wider communal violence. For pastoral families, cattle represent livelihoods and savings, and their loss can quickly escalate tensions.
Akelicious has repeatedly warned that unless attacks on both lives and livelihoods across Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Jos South LGAs are addressed impartially, Plateau State risks remaining trapped in a cycle of retaliation and counter-retaliation.
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