Suspected Fulani terrorists ambushed Bum community in Plateau State, Nigeria, late on New Year’s Eve, killing at least seven residents.
The fulani attackers stormed the remote village in Chugwi, Vwang District of Jos South Local Government Area, around 11 p.m. on December 31, 2025, as locals celebrated the arrival of 2026 with fireworks and gatherings.
They opened fire indiscriminately, targeting homes and people in the open, before setting several houses ablaze and fleeing into the night.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, with screams piercing the festive atmosphere as families scattered into surrounding bushes for safety.
Local leaders quickly mobilized search parties the next morning, recovering the bodies of the victims, including farmers who had been guarding their fields.
Several others sustained gunshot wounds and rushed to nearby hospitals, where medical teams worked tirelessly to stabilize them.
Meanwhile, the fires left dozens homeless, forcing survivors to seek shelter with neighbors amid the rubble of their burned dwellings.
This strike fits into a vicious cycle of reprisal violence that has plagued Plateau State’s Middle Belt region for decades.
Community advocates point to escalating tensions between herders and farmers, fueled by disputes over land, cattle rustling, and illegal mining.
Just days earlier, on December 27, assailants shot five Fulani youths near a local market, an incident that MACBAN leaders condemned as unprovoked and linked to ongoing feuds.
In turn, earlier attacks in mid-December saw rustlers steal hundreds of cattle from Fulani herder communities in Barkin Ladi and Jos East, deepening the divide.
Security forces arrived hours after the ambush, but residents expressed frustration over delayed responses, claiming authorities ignored prior warnings of impending threats.
The Berom Youths Moulder-Association confirmed the casualties and urged federal intervention to halt the bloodshed.
Furthermore, calls mounted for investigations into the financiers and suppliers arming these groups, with some locals demanding military patrols during holidays to protect vulnerable areas.
As the nation grapples with this tragedy, experts warn that without addressing root causes like resource conflicts and ethno-religious divides, such attacks will persist.
Since 2001, similar violence has claimed over 11,000 lives in Plateau alone, turning celebrations into mourning for countless families.
Yet, community resilience shines through, as survivors vow to rebuild while pressing for justice and lasting peace.
