Seven passengers injured as gunmen attack traders in Plateau

Seven passengers travelling along the Bukuru Expressway in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State sustained gunshot injuries after unidentified gunmen opened fire on them.

The attack occurred on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at about 4:30pm near the Total Roundabout in Bukuru. The Plateau State Police Command confirmed the incident.

Police spokesperson, DSP Alfred Alabo, confirmed the attack but declined to provide further details when contacted.

The command said preliminary findings showed that the victims were traders returning from Kara Market in Bukuru.

According to the police, seven injured passengers were later taken to the Military Clinic at Rukuba Barracks, Jos. They were receiving treatment at the facility.

Sources said the victims were travelling in an open-body Boxer vehicle. They were returning from the Kara Bukuru Livestock Market to Rafin Bauna village in Bassa Local Government Area.

The driver and one survivor, identified as Murtala Isa Ibrahim, said about 20 people were in the vehicle when the gunmen attacked. Seven passengers were affected in the shooting.

Some reports claimed that one victim had died. However, the police had not confirmed any death as of the time of filing this report.

The conditions of the injured passengers also remained unclear.

The latest attack has raised concerns over the safety of traders and herders using the route. The road connects the Kara Bukuru livestock market with surrounding communities.

The Plateau chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria MACBAN condemned the attack. It urged security agencies to identify and arrest those responsible.

The state chairman of the association, Ibrahim Babayo, called for increased security around the market route.

He urged the police, Operation Safe Haven, the Department of State Services and other security agencies to strengthen surveillance in the area.

The association also appealed to residents to avoid reprisals. It urged them to allow security agencies to investigate the incident.

MACBAN stressed the need to protect residents regardless of their ethnic background or occupation.

The association also recalled other reported attacks involving herders returning from the same market.

It cited the reported killing of five Fulani herders around Kassa in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area on September 20.

MACBAN also referenced an earlier attack near the Conoil Filling Station in December 2025. That incident reportedly involved herders returning from the livestock market.

The recurring attacks have raised concerns about the safety of pastoralists, traders and other travellers. Many of them depend on the Kara Bukuru market for their livelihoods.