Unidentified gunmen have attacked a vehicle conveying passengers along the Bukuru Expressway in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, leaving seven people injured in a shooting that has renewed concerns over the safety of traders and herders travelling along the route.
The attack occurred on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at about 4:30pm near the Total Roundabout in Bukuru, as the passengers were reportedly returning from the Kara Bukuru Livestock Market.
The Plateau State Police Command confirmed the incident, saying preliminary investigations showed that the vehicle targeted by the gunmen was carrying traders returning from the market.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Alfred Alabo, confirmed the attack when contacted, but declined to provide further details.
In a statement issued by the command on Monday and signed by Alabo, the police said seven injured victims had so far been traced to the Military Clinic at Rukuba Barracks, Jos, where they were receiving medical treatment.
The statement read in part, “The Plateau State Police Command has received with deep concern the report of a shooting incident that occurred on 4th October, 2026 at about 04:30 pm along Bukuru Expressway, Jos South LGA.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that the vehicle targeted was conveying traders returning from Kara Market, Bukuru, Jos. Seven injured victims have so far been traced to the Military Clinic, Rukuba Barracks, Jos, where they are receiving medical attention.”
Sources said the victims were travelling in an open-body Boxer vehicle from the Kara Bukuru Livestock Market to Rafin Bauna village in Bassa Local Government Area when the gunmen opened fire on the vehicle.
The driver and one of the survivors, identified as Murtala Isa Ibrahim, reportedly said about 20 passengers were aboard the vehicle when the attack occurred, with seven of them affected by the shooting.
While some reports claimed that one person had died from injuries sustained in the attack, the police had not confirmed any death as of the time of filing this report.
The conditions of the injured victims were also not immediately established.
The motive for the attack and the identities of the perpetrators remained unclear, while no arrest had been publicly announced by the police.
The latest shooting has heightened concerns over a pattern of attacks reportedly targeting herders, traders and other travellers using the Kara Bukuru market route.
The Kara Bukuru Livestock Market serves traders and pastoralists travelling to and from different communities, making security along the route a major concern for people whose livelihoods depend on the market.
In a related development, a pastoralist association in Plateau State condemned a separate reported attack on Fulani herders around the Federal Low-Cost area of Bukuru and called on security agencies to investigate the incident and bring those responsible to justice.
The association also recalled that five Fulani herders were reportedly killed around Kassa in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area on September 20 while returning from the same livestock market.
It further cited an earlier attack near the Conoil Filling Station in December 2025 involving herders returning from the market.
The recurrence of such incidents has raised fresh concerns about the safety of pastoralists, traders and other residents travelling along the market corridor, amid longstanding security challenges in parts of Plateau State.
The Plateau State chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Babayo, confirmed and condemned the latest attack.
Babayo called on security agencies to thoroughly investigate the shooting, identify those responsible and ensure that they are brought to justice.
He urged the police, Operation Safe Haven, the Department of State Services and other relevant security agencies to strengthen security along the Kara Bukuru market route to prevent further attacks on traders and herders.
He also appealed to residents and community members to remain calm and avoid retaliatory attacks, stressing that escalating the situation could further threaten lives and property.
The association called for equal protection for all residents, regardless of ethnicity or occupation, and urged authorities to take decisive steps to prevent recurring attacks along the route.
As investigations continue, questions remain over the circumstances surrounding the shooting, the identities and motives of the attackers, and whether the incident is connected to the series of previous attacks reported around the Kara Bukuru livestock market corridor.