The Plateau State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has alleged that two Fulani herders and 10 cattle were killed on Tuesday in an attack by suspected native gunmen in the Butura district of Bokkos Local Government Area.
State Chairman of MACBAN, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, in a statement on Wednesday, identified the victims as Muazzam Aminu and Shapi’iu Abdullahi. He said they were attacked and killed without provocation while returning from grazing, with more than 20 other cattle sustaining injuries.
According to Babayo, the herders were ambushed by the assailants, who opened fire on them and their livestock. He said the incident was reported to the Commander of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), the General Officer Commanding 3 Division, and the State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), all of whom promised to take action, but no concrete steps had been taken as of the time of his statement.
He, however, confirmed that the Commander of Sector 5 of OPSH, responsible for security in the area, visited the scene on Wednesday before the victims’ funeral prayers.
The MACBAN chairman urged Fulani herders and association members in the area to remain calm and avoid reprisal attacks, stressing the need for peace and lawful resolution of the matter.
