Gunmen kill herder, injure another in Plateau

Gunmen on Tuesday night attacked herders, killing one and injuring another near the Gero community in Jos South LGA of Plateau State. Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, the state’s chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), disclosed the incident to journalists in Jos on Wednesday. The chairman condemned the attack, describing it as […]

Gunmen on Tuesday night attacked herders, killing one and injuring another near the Gero community in Jos South LGA of Plateau State.

Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, the state’s chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), disclosed the incident to journalists in Jos on Wednesday.

The chairman condemned the attack, describing it as gruesome and barbaric.

Babayo said, “The attack occurred around 8pm on the outskirts of Gero community while the victims were returning to their cattle shed. The victims had earlier gone to the Gero community for shopping, unaware that attackers were trailing them. They eventually opened fire, killing one Zakariya Abdullhai and critically injuring Jibrin Musa.”

He lamented that his group had recorded countless attacks in the past year, adding that, “This is one of many instances where our herders have been killed and cattle shot. Two weeks ago, five Fulani herders were attacked at Conoil along the Bukuru Expressway and critically injured. In December, alone, herders in Plateau experienced numerous attacks, rustling and shootings resulting in the deaths of both herders and livestock.’’

He attributed the attack to members of the Berom ethnic group and stated that the incident had been reported to security agencies, including Operation Safe Haven, DSS and the police.

In a reaction, the National President of the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM), Barrister Solomon Dalyop, denied the allegation, describing it as unfounded and fabricated.

Dalyop said four members of the Berom community were themselves attacked on Tuesday at a mining site.

He identified the victims as Jumai Aba (65), Markus Danladi (55), Peter Elder (27) and Acham Ayuba (24).

He alleged that the victims from the herding community were actually shot by their own fellows who had come to attack the miners.

The MACBAN chairman, however, maintained: “We are not unaware of the efforts of security agencies to maintain peace in Plateau State generally, and we will continue to support such efforts despite resistance by criminal elements.

“We call on security agencies to intensify efforts to arrest the perpetrators of these dastardly attacks. Despite these repeated provocations, we are calling on our members to remain calm and allow security forces to carry out their investigation. We urge all members to remain law-abiding and never take the law into their hands.”

The acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 3rd Division, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, was yet to respond to an SMS from our correspondent regarding the attack.