Two brothers, Wang Christian Mato and his brother Mafwil, were attacked and killed by suspected herdsmen while on their way to check their potato farm. The brothers were described as "newly married" and were trying to protect their farm from being destroyed by herders. According to family sources, the attack occurred because the brothers were attempting to prevent their farmland from being encroached upon or destroyed by cattle. Their cousin, Sunday Jerry, posted a emotional tribute confirming their death. A third person was also reportedly killed in the same farm attack .
5 Feb 2023 · Butura, Bokkos, Plateau
Deaths
3
Injured
1
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
4
Perpetrators
Communal/Ethnic Militias
Response
Local resident Vaine Kwalton Sadiq expressed anguish: "The killing in Bokkos is getting out of hand, the people no longer feel safe in their homes, our communities have been turned into a dead zone, government solution no longer work, i am pained by the killing of Wang christian mato mafala, his younger brother and one other person in their farm yesterday
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
In February, as water sources dry up, herders often stray into green farm patches (like irrigated potato fields). Farmers attempting to chase them off are frequently met with disproportionate armed force.
Trajectory
The killing of the Mato brothers was a precursor to the massive Mangu Massacres of May 2023, where over 200 people were killed in a week. These smaller "farm-site" killings act as the embers that eventually ignite full-scale communal wars.
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier farmer–herder confrontation killings in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, particularly the 24–26 February 2016 Agatu massacre in Benue State and the June 2018 rural attacks in Plateau State, where farmers were targeted while attempting to protect or access their farmland after cattle encroachment. It reflects a recurring pattern of isolated killings on or near farms triggered by disputes over grazing routes, crop destruction, and land access—incidents that often precede wider cycles of communal retaliation and village raids. Similar cases include the March 2018 killing of brothers Bere Dor and Gaire Dor in Jos, Plateau State, the 29 September 2024 shooting of brothers Raymond Timothy and James Timothy in Bakin Kogi, Kauru LGA of Kaduna State, and the 4 April 2025 killing of brothers Masandi Moses Basungyu and Mikhima Moses Basungyu in Wapan Nghaku, Wukari LGA of Taraba State, highlighting the persistent vulnerability of farmers across the Middle Belt.
Pattern
Ethno-Communal Violence
Related — Armed Attack
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