Gunmen suspected to be Fulani militias have killed two people and injured two others in a fresh attack in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attack happened on Wednesday morning when three Irigwe youths were ambushed. According to Joseph Yonkpa, National Publicity Secretary of the Irigwe Youths Movement, the victims were Adamu Bala, 38, and Gado Trra, 45.
Yonkpa said one of the young men survived the ambush but was badly injured and is currently receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital. A military officer was also injured during the attack.
“This morning, three of our people were ambushed by Fulani militias. Two died instantly, and one survived with bullet injuries and is currently hospitalised. Over 20 farms were destroyed,” Yonkpa said
The Plateau State Police Command has not yet commented on the incident. Efforts to reach the command spokesman, Alabo Alfred, were unsuccessful as his phone was not answered.
In a separate development, over 300 cows were reportedly stolen on Tuesday evening in the Jouckchal community, Panyam district of Mangu LGA.
Musa Muhammad, Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Mangu, said the cattle rustlers came in large numbers and opened fire, forcing the herders to flee.
“The cattle, over 300, belonging to three persons, including Jeji Boro with 130, Shagari Manu with 70, and Tambaya Jouckchal with 103, were taken by the attackers,” Muhammad said.
He added that they informed security agencies, and soldiers from Operation Safe Haven were deployed to trace the cattle. “So far, only five cows have been recovered,” he noted.
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Muhammad accused Mwaghavul youths of stealing the cattle, but the Mwaghavul Development Association quickly denied the allegation.
Its National President, Bulus Dabit, said, “Cattle rustling is not a tribal activity, but rather a criminal act that requires investigation and prosecution.”
Dabit urged Miyetti Allah to report incidents to security agencies instead of accusing an entire ethnic group on social media. “Where can we even keep 300 cows? This kind of talk is not helping. It is making our people angry,” he added.
Meanwhile, MACBAN also revealed that 36 cattle have died from suspected poisoning near the INEC office in Mangu, with ten more deaths recorded between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
The group called on security agencies to recover the stolen cattle and stop further attacks. They also stressed their desire for peaceful coexistence.