Fulani herdsmen strikes, kill 22 in plateau

Residents were seen wailing over the killing of their siblings. Others went in search of their missing relatives. The Chairman of Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), Mr Pwakim Choji, said that “the attackers came late in the night and initially killed 14 people and left eight others crit­ically injured. He said that two of the injured later died, bring­ing the death toll to 16.”

But some residents claimed that they had found 22 bodies at the scenes of the attacks. Choji said: “Our people said that the attackers who are Fula­ni, were accompanied by men dressed in military uniforms, which is really a disturbing is­sue. We don’t know why they came to attack us. As I speak to you, about a hundred of our people are missing, so we are short of words.”

Another source in the com­munity alleged that the Fulani had written to warn the com­munities of Kwata, Trade Centre and Kuru, all in Jos South Lo­cal Government Area, that they were not going to know peace any longer, but the communi­ties took it lightly.

“But on Sunday night the Fulani made good their threat when they attacked about six houses in Kwata leaving 16 peo­ple dead.

“They hacked down help­less children and women, leav­ing them in the pools of their blood. Those, who tried to es­cape into the nearby bush, were shot by the attackers,” the source said.

Choji confirmed that six persons were killed on Sunday night in Hoss village of Riyom council, bringing the death toll to 22.
A member representing Jos South/Jos East Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Edward Pwajok, described the incident as unfortunate.

Through his Legislative Aide, Mr Ayuba Pam, Pwa­jok said that “when we thought peace has returned, some peo­ple are bent on creating unstable situation. We condemn this act and call on security operatives to be more proactive.”

The State Command Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abuh Emmanuel, said the cas­ualty figures could not be ascer­tained.

“The Police Commissioner has drafted men to the scene of the sad incident. Efforts are be­ing made to ensure that the per­petrators of the act are arrested.

“We are appealing to the public to go about their normal business as the situation has been put under control,” he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state has said that a law to prohibit open grazing of cattle in his state will soon be enacted.

The governor made this disclosure in Makurdi, Benue state capital on Monday, June 27, at the end of the Town Hall Meeting he held with stakeholders in the three senatorial zones of the state.