Metro
Tensions escalate in Plateau as bandits kill four children in reprisal attack
At least four children have been reportedly killed in a reprisal attack on Dorong village in the Foron district of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, deepening fears of renewed violence in the area.
The incident, which occurred on Thursday morning, was reported by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region.
According to the report, the attack was allegedly carried out by armed Fulani herdsmen amid growing tensions linked to recent cattle rustling and attacks on pastoral communities.
The victims were identified as Precious Joshuah, 17; Isa’ac Joshuah, 9; Mary Joshuah, 7; and Eve Sambo, 3. The killing of the children has heightened anxiety among residents, many of whom had earlier expressed fears of reprisals following a wave of violence in neighbouring communities.
The attack reportedly occurred less than 48 hours after coordinated assaults on pastoral settlements in Barkin Ladi, Jos East and Riyom local government areas, during which at least 168 cattle were said to have been rustled, with several others allegedly poisoned.
Residents of the area were said to have been living in fear since the cattle rustling incidents, with warnings that retaliatory attacks were likely if the situation was not quickly brought under control.
“The atmosphere has been tense. People warned that reprisals were imminent if nothing was done. Sadly, those fears have now materialised,” a source told the publication.
Security operatives have since been deployed to Dorong village and surrounding communities in an effort to prevent further escalation and restore calm, as authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.
The latest incident adds to the long-running cycle of violence in Plateau State, where reprisal attacks linked to communal clashes, cattle rustling and farmer-herder tensions have repeatedly claimed lives, including those of women and children.

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