Herder killed, houses burnt in Plateau

A 16-year-old herder, Abubakar Abdullahi, has been killed in the Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. The herding community alleged that security operatives stormed the area around 4 a.m. on Friday and started shooting sporadically while residents were sleeping, killing one person and injuring another. Usaini Langai, who survived the incident, narrated: “We were sleeping in the room at night when soldiers stormed in, brought us out, and killed my colleague instantly. They burned houses and killed some cattle. They started moving with me and later shot me twice and abandoned me there. Soon after, some residents who heard my cry came and evacuated me to the hospital in Barkin Ladi.” The father of the deceased condemned the incident. He said: “Around 4 a.m., they stormed the community. We started running for our lives, but they met two teenage herders in the room. They brought him outside and killed him for no offence. They opened fire at our houses. “They went with the other herder and shot him twice in the back, believing that he had died, but luckily we took him to the hospital for treatment. They killed some cattle and injured others. This is unjust because nothing has happened around this area that would warrant them invading the community. For some time now, they have been killing our cattle, and today, security forces committed this atrocity against us. After leaving our community, they went to other herding communities and burned houses. This is unfair.” One Abdulhadi Muhammad, whose house was burnt, also condemned the attack and called on the government to intervene and ensure justice. “It is surprising that they will come and burn my house without any reason. A day before security burnt my house, our cattle were poisoned around Kwi, and as a leader, I was informed, and I reported the incident to all security forces in the area. They asked us to be patient, and we were patient. But to my surprise, they burnt my house. What was my offence? Was it because our cattle were killed and we reported the case to them? They killed our members and burnt houses. Government should do something,” Muhammad said. Alhaji Bello Adamu, Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in the area, described the attack as deliberate. He said: “We are surprised that security forces will attack us without provocation. They killed our people and our cattle. Their problem is that we are Fulani. Our call is that if the government is not the one directing them to kill us, they should do something about it. Gunmen kill us, and security personnel also kill us. How do we achieve peace if this continues?” Spokesperson for Operation Enduring Peace, Captain Polycarp Oteh, did not respond to the inquiry regarding the incident as of press time. Efforts within 48 hours to get reactions from Operation Enduring Peace and the Police PRO, but none of them responded.