Killings: MACBAN suspends cattle transportation to Plateau market

Recent attacks in Plateau State have led MACBAN, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, to suspend cattle transportation to the Kara Bukuru Livestock Market in Jos South Local Government Area. The suspension, effective from October 6 to October 20, 2026, follows a series of incidents that have resulted in casualties and injuries.

On Sunday, gunmen attacked herders returning to Bassa from the market, killing two people and injuring eight others. This comes two weeks after another attack on September 20 in Kassa community, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, where five people were killed and another injured.

Fulani leaders in Plateau State, including local government chairmen and cattle owners, convened a meeting to discuss the escalating violence. The leaders condemned the targeted attacks on community members and decided to suspend cattle movement to the market as a mark of mourning for the victims. In a communique signed by MACBAN's state Chairman, Ibrahim Yousuf Babayo, the leaders emphasized the need for security agencies to strengthen security measures, identify those responsible for the attacks, and prevent future incidents.

They also urged security agencies to conduct thorough investigations into the two attacks, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators, and guarantee the safety of all citizens, regardless of their ethnic backgrounds.

The leaders called for calm and restraint among the Fulani community, urging members to cooperate with security agencies and avoid taking matters into their own hands. They expressed their commitment to peace and lawfulness.