Government Sends Tractors, Fulani Send Bullets”: Farmers Attacked in Kombili Hours After Government Support Arrives

Kombili Village, located in Panyam District of Mangu Local Government Area (LGA), as armed men believed to be Fulani herders launched a violent attack on residents, just hours after government-deployed tractors arrived to support local agriculture.

The shocking development, captured in part on video obtained from a Facebook post by local resident Mr. Lengtu, shows residents running in panic, with voices in the background crying out for help and safety. The video has since gone viral, stirring public outrage and renewed debates on insecurity in Nigeria’s Plateau state

According to eyewitness accounts, the attack began in the early afternoon as farmers were working with the tractors recently sent by the state or federal authorities. These machines were part of a much-anticipated agricultural intervention to help boost food production in Kombili, a rural village historically neglected in terms of infrastructure and economic development.

“We thought help had finally come,” said one distraught farmer who narrowly escaped the scene. “The government sent tractors, and for the first time in years, we felt seen. But before we could even begin planting, the Fulani came with guns.”

Villagers report that the armed attackers stormed the farmlands without warning, shooting sporadically and causing chaos. Some tractors were abandoned mid-operation, and several villagers fled into nearby forests for safety. Though official reports have yet to confirm casualties, multiple residents say people were injured, and a few are still unaccounted for.

“This is not just an attack; it’s a message one meant to instill fear and drive us off our own lands,” said a local youth leader. “We were promised security, and instead we got silence and sorrow.”

The government’s silence in the immediate aftermath has fueled frustration among locals, with many accusing authorities of focusing more on optics than on real security measures.

“This is a pattern we’ve seen before,” said a rights activist in Jos. “Support is announced with fanfare tractors, loans, empowerment schemes but the government fails to protect the people who are meant to benefit from them.”

The village of Kombili has suffered several such attacks in recent years, often during critical farming seasons. Tuesday’s incident has now raised fears of another food production setback, further compounding the economic hardship in Mangu LGA and across Plateau State.

Security agencies have yet to release an official statement, and no arrests have been confirmed at the time of this report. Community leaders are calling for the immediate deployment of security personnel to protect farming areas and allow displaced villagers to return to their homes and resume agricultural activities.

Meanwhile, social media is abuzz with outrage, with hashtags like #KombiliAttack, #ProtectPlateauFarmers, and #TractorsNotBullets trending on Nigerian platforms. Advocacy groups and civil society organizations are demanding both justice for Kombili and a comprehensive response to the escalating farmer-herder conflict that has plagued the region for years.

As of this morning, many residents of Kombili remain in hiding, mourning their losses and wondering whether the promise of development is worth the price they’re forced to pay.