The ongoing crisis in Plateau State’s Mangu Local Government Area has a multifaceted cause, according to the Nigerian military. In a statement released Thursday, they attributed the situation to a complex interplay of factors, including the presence of herder militia groups, cattle rustling, and other underlying tensions.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, stated this on Thursday while addressing a news conference in Abuja on the activities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
He, however, said special forces have been deployed to hot spots in the state to contain the situation.
General Buba said, “The situation was triggered by a number of factors including the attempted cattle rustling and the killing of a Mangu man by herder militia.”
He said it was reported that the man riding on a motorcycle along the road ran into a herd of cattle crossing the road on the 22nd of January 2024.
“The herders reportedly killed the man on the spot. Consequently, militia mobilised and attacked residents in the early hours of 23rd of January,” he said.
While the statement acknowledges the role of herder militias in the violence, it also emphasizes that the situation extends beyond a simple clash between herders and farmers. Cattle rustling, a longstanding issue in the region, is also identified as a contributing factor, potentially fueling retaliatory attacks and driving further instability.
