No fewer than ten residents tragically lost their lives in various communities across Plateau State, barely 24 hours after security forces had imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on a troubled village in the region. This fresh outbreak of violence has ignited widespread outrage, anger, and deep frustration among the local population. Residents have consistently alleged a disturbing pattern of coordinated attacks perpetrated by armed herdsmen, whom they also accuse of operating a sophisticated propaganda machine designed to shift blame onto their communities.

In the aftermath of these brutal killings, residents recounted a calculated strategy employed by the attackers. This strategy reportedly involves grazing cattle on farmlands, intentionally poisoning their own cows, subsequently alleging ambushes by native inhabitants, and then using these fabricated claims to justify retaliatory assaults on innocent communities. One distraught resident vividly described this tactic, stating, "They will come with their cows, graze on farmland, poison their cows and allege that we are the ones killing their people by laying ambush, and simply shift the blame on us and come with this terror attack on us."

The imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the affected village on Saturday, following rising tensions, proved insufficient to prevent the bloodshed. By Sunday morning, a grim tally of ten residents had been confirmed dead, victims of what locals described as coordinated night raids. As families grieved their lost loved ones, community leaders vociferously questioned the efficacy of the security measures put in place.

A representative of the aggrieved residents, whose passionate appeal was captured in a widely circulated online video by cyber journalist Ozor Ndi Ozor, strongly accused authorities of a grave failure: the refusal to officially designate the attackers as terrorists, despite what he described as overwhelming evidence of organized violence. Furthermore, he explicitly implicated the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), accusing the organization of supporting those responsible for the killings. The representative unequivocally declared, "So, this is another round of terrorism and we want the security to have it on record that our lives are not to be killed by so-called Fulani... These are terrorists. These are terrorists and it must be admitted that the Fulani that are killing us are terrorists." He further noted that allegations of cattle rustling and poisoned cows were part of a "frame report" used to justify these atrocities.

The visibly angered spokesman insisted that claims of cattle poisoning were being weaponized as a pretext for violence. He warned that the community had been pushed to its breaking point, asking, "Is it good to be killing Plateau people like this? Is it good to be killing Nigerians like this, and the terrorists are there moving freely?" He adamantly demanded an immediate cessation of grazing on ancestral land without consent, asserting that "Our land is not for any grazing." The community leader stressed that his people were not engaged in conflict with any ethnic group, being "law-abiding citizens," but affirmed their resolve to "defend our land, we start to defend our lives, and our heritage. Our heritage is not to be shared with the Fulanis." He also emphasized that any land acquisition by Fulani should follow lawful means, not through force which then serves as a base for attacks.

Adding to the gravity of the situation, the spokesman alleged the involvement of "terrorists" and "bandits" who had been "brought in" to perpetuate the violence. He also called for absolute transparency in handling casualties, specifically rejecting claims that the community had staged funerals with empty coffins. He proposed that bodies be taken to the General Hospital for official certification by doctors while graves were dug, ensuring proper documentation and accountability. "We are saying this is because God should do something such that the people who perpetrated this act will be arrested. And should there be any arrest, there will be evidence to prove that these are the perpetrators of this act," he stated.

In a particularly forceful demand, the spokesman urged the government to proscribe Miyetti Allah in Plateau State. He argued, "Miyetti Allah has become like the mouthpiece of these individuals going to give any kind of report without allowing the security to verify it. Let Miyetti Allah on the Plateau be proscribed. Let them also be enlisted as terrorist organisation because I want to believe you know, encouraging some of these things." He accused the group of propagating unverified claims, such as allegations of militia attacks on Fulani settlements, while their own communities are being killed in their homes. He contrasted this with previous incidents where killings allegedly occurred in forested areas claimed to be Fulani territory, where movement was restricted even in daylight.

The widespread anger culminated in protests on Monday when youths, joined by women and other residents, blocked the highway to Jos in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State. They vowed to maintain the blockade until the attackers were apprehended and prosecuted. The death toll from the attacks reportedly escalated, with seven people initially killed in an assault at Ratatis, Dorowa Babuje in Barkin Ladi, leaving three injured. Subsequently, two more bodies were recovered from Dorowa Babuje on Monday morning, and another person was fatally shot in Jol, Riyom LGA, bringing the confirmed number of fatalities to at least ten.

Rwang Tengwong, a leader of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, explicitly attributed these attacks to "armed Fulani Terrorists," providing details of the Sunday evening assault. A protester named Samson Godiya voiced the community's deep-seated frustration with persistent insecurity and alleged failures by security forces. "We have suffered as a community for too long in the hands of these attackers whom we know to be Fulani herdsmen. For how long shall we continue to be killed without anything being done to stop them. We cannot continue like this," he lamented, adding, "We are tired of promises by the government and security agents to protect us. If they cannot live up to their promises, they should leave us alone." The highway blockade significantly disrupted movement for motorists traveling between Shendam, Langtang, and Jos. As of the time of reporting, Alfred Alabo, spokesperson for the Plateau police command, was unavailable for comment.