*As week-long attacks, reprisals intensify amid security responses
By Zagazola Makama
At least nine persons have been killed and several others injured in an early morning attack on Zhe Brazongo village in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, as part of a widening cycle of tit-for-tat violence across the state.
The incident occurred at about 12:15 a.m. on May 8 when suspected armed militia stormed the community, opening fire on residents and attacking fleeing villagers with machetes, leaving behind multiple fatalities and widespread panic.
Security sources said the attackers arrived in large numbers and struck simultaneously from different directions, causing confusion in the rural settlement before escaping through surrounding bush paths before the arrival of troops.
On arrival, troops under Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), supported by personnel from nearby formations, discovered nine bodies with gunshot wounds and machete cuts, while several injured victims were evacuated to nearby health facilities for treatment.
Troops immediately launched pursuit operations and laid ambushes along suspected withdrawal routes, but no contact was established with the fleeing attackers. Security presence has since been reinforced in the area.
Zagazola report that the latest killings are part of the coordinated attacks, reprisals and counter-operations that have intensified across Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Mangu, Jos South and adjoining local government areas within the past week.
Security sources said on May 6, suspected Berom militia mobilised for a reprisal attack on Jong community in Barkin Ladi following an earlier attack on Nding Sesut on May 5, where six persons were killed and three others injured by suspected Fulani attackers.
The reprisal mobilisation reportedly led to an exchange of gunfire before troops intervened and dispersed the rival groups, preventing further escalation. Although no casualties were recorded in that specific confrontation, tension remained high across affected communities.
In separate incidents within the same period, troops responded to multiple killings, kidnappings and cattle-related violence, including the killing of civilians near Fan Loo in Barkin Ladi, the abduction of children in Jos South, and attempted kidnappings in Kurra and Dura areas.
Security sources also confirmed that troops recovered bodies of victims in Kikyua village in Mangu, and repelled attacks in Rim, Riyom LGA, where armed Militiamen from the same community opened fire on military positions but were forced to withdraw.
The week also witnessed repeated cattle rustling and livestock-related violence. Troops recovered cattle in Riyom, Bassa and Mangu LGAs after reported attacks on herders, while suspected militia and armed herders were linked to retaliatory assaults on farming communities.
In one of the major incidents, troops reportedly arrested three suspected Berom militia members and recovered 84 rustled cattle in Riyom LGA, while another 92 cattle were recovered in Bassa after an attempted rustling operation was foiled.
Reports also indicated cases of livestock poisoning, destruction of farms, and burning of property, further deepening mistrust between farming and pastoral communities.
The week was also marked by a major security setback in Mangu LGA, where troops responding to unrest during illegal mining-related tensions were reportedly attacked by armed plateau youths.
A senior military officer was killed in the incident, while troops responded in self-defence, neutralising two attackers and recovering weapons, rifles and ammunition. Additional follow-up operations led to further recovery of arms from the area.
In Sabon Gari, Mangu, tensions escalated during clashes linked to mining disputes, with security forces deployed to restore order amid hostile engagements with armed youths.
On May 3, three civilians were killed near Fan Loo in Barkin Ladi when suspected armed Fulani elements ambushed commuters on motorcycles, while on May 5, troops responded to the killing of civilians in Mangu and also foiled kidnapping attempts in Jos South, Barkin Ladi and Riyom LGAs.
Security sources said troops also arrested five suspected militia linked to arson and attacks on infrastructure in Jos South, while conducting multiple clearance and patrol operations across volatile communities.
Military authorities said troops of Operation Enduring Peace have intensified cordon-and-search operations, patrols, intelligence-driven raids and rapid response deployments across Plateau State to contain the deteriorating situation.
The recurring inter-communal reprisals driven by unresolved grievances over land, cattle rustling, farm destruction and past killings will continue to escalate except government takes decisive action on both sides.
Sources noted that each attack triggers counter-attacks, creating a continuous cycle of retaliation that spreads across multiple local government areas.
Sources further point to proliferation of arms, weak prosecution of offenders, difficult terrain, and misinformation as factors sustaining the violence.
Despite ongoing military interventions and arrests, communities across Plateau remain tense, with security agencies maintaining heightened surveillance to prevent further escalation of hostilities.
Meanwhile, as a sign of the escalating crisis in the area, a peace meeting between local residents and Fulani community members in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State turned violent on Thursday, leaving one person dead and five others injured after youths allegedly attempted to disarm soldiers deployed to maintain security during the engagement.
Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at about 3:00 p.m. on May 7 at Mier village, where troops of Sector 8 under Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), deployed at Fier guard post, had organised a stakeholders’ meeting aimed at easing tensions between locals and Fulani residents in the area.
The sources said the meeting was part of ongoing confidence-building and peace restoration efforts by security forces following recent incidents of communal violence, cattle rustling, reprisal attacks, and growing mistrust between farming and pastoral communities across parts of Plateau State.
According to the sources, the meeting was progressing peacefully before a group of agitated youths reportedly became hostile and attempted to forcefully seize the rifles of two soldiers providing security at the venue.
“The situation suddenly turned violent when some youths moved aggressively toward the troops and attempted to disarm two soldiers,” a security source said.
The source added that amid the struggle and confusion, one of the soldiers discharged his weapon in self-defence to prevent the mob from overpowering the troops.
Following the incident, one local resident sustained fatal injuries and was later confirmed dead, while four other civilians and one soldier were injured during the confrontation.
The injured persons were immediately evacuated to nearby medical facilities for treatment, while the corpse of the deceased was deposited at the General Hospital morgue in Pankshin.
Security operatives subsequently reinforced the area to prevent further breakdown of law and order, while efforts were intensified to calm tensions among residents.
The four youths who attacked the soldiers were arrested.
The latest violence occurred amid heightened security concerns and recurring communal clashes across Plateau State, where troops of Operation Enduring Peace have continued to conduct patrols, peace engagements, arrests, and intelligence-driven operations to contain reprisals and attacks involving armed militias, bandits, and cattle rustlers.
Military and community leaders have repeatedly urged residents to avoid taking the law into their hands and to cooperate with security agencies to sustain peace efforts across the state.
