Farming communities and herders are trading blame over the attacks in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi local government areas of Plateau State.
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Over 150 people have been confirmed dead so far, with dozens of houses, vehicles and other equipment destroyed.
Leaders in farming communities are accusing herders of launching the attacks, but the herders also said they were the first victims and also accused security operatives of not being neutral.
Both the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Plateau State and at the national level, as well as the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) have condemned the sporadic killings on the Plateau and called for immediate action by the federal government.
We’re the victims – Farming communities
The Counsellor of Bokkos Central and former Secretary of Bokkos Progressive Youths, Mahanan Matawal, said that the attacks on their communities were unprovoked.
In an interview with one of our reporters, he said, he said “The attackers have no reason to attack us because they cannot justify why they launched the attack.
“I know we have been having a series of problems with the herders in the area. They would always destroy your farm and tell you not to talk. When you complain, they attack you. What was our offence? Even if cattle were rustled somewhere different from our communities, we should not be blamed for the atrocities.
“You cannot quantify the food they have destroyed. A good number of houses were also destroyed. They killed more than a hundred innocent people including children. We are asking the government to come to our aid.
“We are suffering in the hands of the herders. The security personnel are not enough,” Matawal said.
However, the Chairman of Bokkos LGA, Monday Kassa, who spoke to Daily Trust on phone said, “Today (yesterday), we have recovered more than 20 bodies from the bushes and the search is not over yet. In another one hour, you will see more bodies being brought from the bush.
“The situation on ground now is not yet Uhuru. We are working tirelessly with the search and rescue team to ensure we recover all the victims. Many residents are still missing, that is why we are still searching.
“And from our efforts, the death toll from Bokkos Local Government now is 125”.
Similarly, the Chairman of Barkin Ladi LGA, Danjuma Dakil, said 30 persons were killed in communities within his local government; while over 1,000 injured people were rushed to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).
They rustled our cattle – MACBAN
But on the other side, MACBAN said Fulani and their cattle had become targets of revenge by armed youths in Bokkos LGA of the state.
The state chairman of the association, Muhammed Nuru Abdullahi, in a statement yesterday, said: “The attention of the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association has been drawn by its Bokkos local government branch to an unfortunate incident of an early morning attack and killing of several Fulanis.
“The ugly incident happened around Mushere and Bokkos districts of the LGA. The incident was recorded on Sunday, 24/12/2023, which occurred between the hours of 8:00am and lasted for 9 hours.
“What baffled us is that security personnel were leading the operation. This we describe as security brutality, which is totally unacceptable. The Fulani in general are oppressed and stretched beyond elasticity.
“We have been hearing a series of accusations that the Fulani were behind the attacks on 24th December that led to the deaths of residents in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi.
“We make bold to say what has been happening is an outright act of criminality by unpatriotic Nigerians that are hell bent on perpetrating criminality.
“It is worthy of note that the early morning Sunday attack by security personnel in collaboration with bandits on our members was without any provocation and it is barbaric.
“The whole problem started as a result of cattle rustling where three cattle breeders were killed and 181 cows were attempted to be rustled on 23/12/2023 (Saturday), but they failed.
“While on Sunday 24/12/23, twenty two people were killed in the aforementioned villages, there was burning of Fulani houses in Makada, Matalem, Momndun, Matol, Tashan maikarfi, Yelwan nono, Fokos, Shoro and Morfet villages.
“About 130 houses were burnt and demolished. This unprovoked act of criminality is totally condemnable particularly at a time that we have put behind us incidents of the past to work with government and security agencies to ensure lasting peace in our communities.
“All efforts were put in place towards achieving sustainable peace and unity, but yet, such a dastardly act continued to show its ugly face. The entire Fulani community were thrown into confusion when the incident happened as innocent persons and their properties were targeted while on their lawful activities.”
Farm destruction behind latest attacks – Safe Haven
Speaking on the issue, Captain Oya James, who is the acting spokesperson for Operation Safe Haven, a multi-security taskforce maintaining peace in the state, the immediate cause of the problem could not be unconnected to farm destruction allegedly carried out by herders.
He said, “I went there on Sunday after the Saturday attacks, and was told that the herders went and grazed in someone’s potato farm in that village around that border. So, farmers chased the herders out of the farm and later agreed to meet on Saturday to know how much they would pay as compensation.
“The youth leader in the area said there was an agreement that they are going to meet and discuss the issue of the compensation and unfortunately, the attack happened on Saturday” he said.
Meanwhile, the police high command described MACBAN’s allegations as “their opinion”, which it said they are entitled to.
In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents last night, the spokesman for the force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the force was not ready to say anything about the killings.
Adejobi, a Commissioner of Police, however, promised that an official statement, detailing the force’s reaction would be issued either on Wednesday or Thursday.
“That’s their (Miyetti Allah’s) opinion, and everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. We are not saying anything about the Plateau killings now”, Adejobi told Daily Trust.
Efforts to reach the spokesman for the Nigerian Army, Onyema Nwachukwu, proved abortive as several calls to his mobile phone rang unanswered.
He was yet to reply to a text message sent to him last night as at when filing this report.
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