Two Herders, 150 Cows Killed In Plateau Reprisal Attack

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, said 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.