By Palang Paul
A farmer, Yakubu Bitrus, has lost one of his hands after he was attacked by Fulani herders in Agingi community, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
Bitrus, who spoke while receiving treatment in a hospital,says that the attack followed his refusal to immediately help rescue a cow that had fallen into a ditch.
According to him, the incident occurred on Friday 11th September 2026 after he and two women had gone to their farm and stopped for a meal break.
Bitrus said a young Fulani herder approached them during the break and requested their assistance to lift the trapped cow.
He explained that he declined because he was the only man among the three and did not want to leave the two women unattended.
He instead advised the herder to seek assistance from other farmers nearby so they could work together to rescue the animal.
Bitrus says the Fulani herder rejected the suggestion, insisted that they follow him and warned that there would be consequences if the cow died.
He said the situation later became hostile when the Fulani herder allegedly began insulting him and chased him with a stick and a cutlass.
“I had already noticed another person hiding nearby and, realising that the herder was possibly not alone, I decided against confronting him and we ran away to avoid any fight,” Bitrus said.
He said they later gathered other people and returned to the area to assist in rescuing the cow but found neither the herders nor the animal.
According to him, the group waited for about five minutes before leaving for their respective farms, unaware that the attackers were reportedly still nearby.
Bitrus said the attack occurred later in the day while he, his wife and another woman were returning home from the farm.
He said his wife briefly left the road to gather firewood while he remained with the other woman.
“Moments later,” he said, he heard his wife screaming and rushed towards her, where he allegedly found her being assaulted and struck on the head.
Bitrus said he picked up a piece of wood and confronted the attackers in an attempt to defend his wife and create an opportunity for them to escape.
He alleged that a struggle initially involved sticks before additional Fulani men emerged from the bush and joined the assault.
According to Bitrus, one of the Fulani attackers used a machete to cut down one of his hands before the assailants fled into the bush.
The incident adds to concerns over recurring tensions and violent attacks involving farming communities and herders in parts of Plateau State, where disputes over farmland, livestock and access to rural communities have continued to fuel insecurity.
Authorities are expected to investigate, identify those responsible and provide protection for residents in the affected community.
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