Two herders and over one hundred cows have been reportedly killed in what appeared to be a reprisal attack in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau state
A community leader in Kwal district where the attack occurred, Ezekiel Bini, told The PUNCH in Jos on Saturday that before the incident happened on Wednesday, a young man who went to his farm was killed by suspected herders the previous day.
Bini said, ” What happened was that a man whose wife and children were earlier killed by suspected herdsmen in 2021 had gone to the farm on Tuesday. He was attacked and killed by the same suspected herders.
“During his burial the next day on Wednesday, some people who were angered by the development might have suddenly went on a rampage and attacked the herders on sight in retaliation leading to the death of the victims and the cows ”
The state chairmen of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN), Nura Abdullahi and Garba Abdullahi, lamented the incident while confirming that over 100 cattle were also rustled during the attack.
Narrating the incident, the GAFDAN chairman said, “The herders were tending to their cattle around 9 am on Wednesday when some gunmen appeared and started shooting.
“They shot two herders dead. They also shot over 200 cattle. We are yet to ascertain the full extent of the damage because the incident occurred in a remote area that is difficult to access without security operatives. We have suffered a significant loss.
“It is high time for security agencies to take action against the atrocities being committed against our people. Whenever we are attacked, security agencies always ask us to remain calm. This is an attempt to annihilate us, as it was an unprovoked attack. We are calling on security agencies to come to our aid,” Garba said.
When contacted, the spokesperson for Operation Safe Haven, which is maintaining peace in the state, Major Samson Zhakom, did not respond to the inquiry on the incident at the time of filing this report.
Our correspondent reports that gory pictures of the cattle and the young man killed by the suspected herders have been circulating on social media.
Many residents who reacted to the killings condemned the attacks and urged perpetrators to allow peace reign in the area and other parts of the state.
