Gunmen kill herder, 25 cows in Plateau attack

Gunmen have attacked herders in two communities within Fan district, Barikin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing one herder and 25 cattle on Tuesday. The state chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, confirmed the incident to journalists in Jos. He said the gunmen stormed a […]

Gunmen have attacked herders in two communities within Fan district, Barikin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing one herder and 25 cattle on Tuesday.

The state chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, confirmed the incident to journalists in Jos.

He said the gunmen stormed a grazing area and opened fire, killing the animals.

Babayo said a herder who went missing on Tuesday was found dead near the attack scene.

The MACBAN chairman explained that the attacks occurred in two separate locations.

The first attack, he said, was in Lairi village on Sunday, and the second was in Katang on Tuesday. Both villages are in the Fan district.

“The attackers stormed the scene when the animals were grazing, started shooting, and forced the herders to flee and abandon the cattle,” he said.

Babayo added that he had informed security agencies, including the General Officer Commanding 3 Division and the state Commissioner of Police.

He noted that the commander of Operation Enduring Peace Sector in Barikin Ladi had also visited the scene.

Describing the attack as devastating, Babayo accused members of the Berom ethnic group of being responsible.

However, Solomon Dalyop, President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), denied the accusation.

“The Berom Youth Moulders Association is unaware of any killing of cows within the Fan axis. This is because Berom people are peace-loving inhabitants who have vowed not to venture into such an ignoble act.

“Therefore, the security agents should, as a matter of urgency, rise up to an occasion of an imminent attack on residents of Fan District, as armed Fulani invaders usually frame up an allegation against our people whenever they have an intent to unleash mayhem or terror attacks on us.”

The spokesperson for the Joint Task Force – Operation Enduring Peace, Major Samson Zhakom, has not responded to inquiries.

However, the Area Commander of the Operation, I.Y. Kefas, attended the funeral prayer for the deceased on behalf of the Sector 4 Commander.

 He offered condolences to the herders and urged them to remain calm, warning them not to take the law into their own hands.

The Area Commander promised that they would do everything possible to find and arrest the perpetrators.