Gunmen kill 2 herders, rustle cows in FCT

Gunmen have shot dead two herders and rustled their animals at a Fulani settlement in Zukpatu community, which borders Gadabuke in Kuje Area Council of the FCT and Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. A resident of Zukpatu community, Yahaya Ibrahim, said the incident happened on Tuesday around 9:47pm when the gunmen, wielding sophisticated […]

Gunmen have shot dead two herders and rustled their animals at a Fulani settlement in Zukpatu community, which borders Gadabuke in Kuje Area Council of the FCT and Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

A resident of Zukpatu community, Yahaya Ibrahim, said the incident happened on Tuesday around 9:47pm when the gunmen, wielding sophisticated weapons, attacked the camp in large numbers.

He said the herders were migrating with their animals from Azzara in Kaduna State towards Nasarawa State, when the gunmen attacked them.

He said the gunmen, who came through Dogon -Dutse forest, near the neighbouring Gadabuke, opened fire and killed the two herders.

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He said they also injured three others, including a woman.

He said the gunmen escaped with some cows and sheep amid sporadic shooting even as he said the three injured herders were taken to the neighbouring Gadabuke in Toto LGA of Nasarawa State for treatment.

He said, “The three injured herders, including a female, were earlier taken to a health centre in Zukpatu village but the health centre was under lock and key due to the ongoing strike and the victims were immediately taken to Gadabuke in Toto LGA of Nasarawa State where they are undergoing treatment.”

According to him, some leaders of the herders have reached out to the vigilantes from neighbouring Zukpatu, Sabo, Gadoro and Agweh villages in Kuje Area Council to mobilise after the gunmen in order to retrieve the animals.

A community leader, who preferred anonymity for security reasons, confirmed the incident to our reporter through the telephone on Wednesday, saying the gunmen came through Nasarawa forest.

He said, “This morning, one of the Fulani chiefs came to my place to inform me about the incident. Although, he said some vigilantes including those of the Miyetti Allah, have mobilised into the forest to see how the cows can be retrieved from the fleeing bandits.’’

One of the vigilantes, Ishaku Danjuma, also confirmed the incident to our reporter, saying the vigilantes were mobilising from three rural communities in Kuje to join others from Gadabuke in Toto LGA of Nasarawa State to retrieve the animals.

He said, “As I am talking to you right now, the vigilantes from Sabo, Gadoro and Zukpatu have all converged at Gadabuke preparing to storm the forest in order to see how they can retrieve the animals.’’

Abuja Metro gathered that the gunmen have been trailing the herders right from Azara in Kachia LGA of Kaduna State when the herders decided to migrate due to the incessant attacks on them by the bandits in the area.

The spokeswoman for the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, could not be reached for comments on the incident as at the time of filing this report.