Unic Press UK: The Fulani herdsmen are allegedly behind the brutal murder of about twenty-nine persons in the Bassa local government area (LGA), Plateau state, Nigeria, necessitating a declaration of a dusk to dawn curfew in the area by the Governor, Simon Lalong.
Local police said Fulani herdsmen attacked Ancha village in Bassa LGA of Plateau state, in the early hours of Friday in a sort of reprisal attack after a boy from the herding community was killed, reports Reuters – a reputable international news agency headquartered in London.
Reacting to the killings in Plateau state, the Nigerian presidency, through the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said:
“President Muhammadu Buhari has received with deep sadness and regret, news of the recent killings of at least 20 people in Plateau State, during what has been described as a reprisal attack by some herdsmen. President Buhari believes that this madness has gone too far. He has instructed the military and the police to not only bring the violence to an instant end, but to draw up a plan to ensure that there are no further attacks and reprisal attacks by one group against the other. President Buhari is devoted to the sanctity of Nigeria’s unity, and he encourages Nigerians of all groups to learn to live together in peace and harmony. He commiserates with the governor and people of Plateau State, and with those who lost their loved ones, friends and family: May God comfort them as only He can.”
In Nigeria, nomadic herders of cattle have invaded and destroyed several communities, and there seems to be no end to the menace. From 2016 to date, several states’, including Plateau, Ondo, Kaduna, Katsina, Enugu, Zamfara, Adamawa, Benue, and so on, have suffered monumental losses from attacks perpetuated by armed herdsmen. This year 2017, hundreds of properties and lives have been destroyed in Nigeria by the Fulani herdsmen, who engaged in nomadic activities with automatic weapons, including AK-47 Assault Rifle.
A research conducted by SBM Intelligence, which covered the 2016 (from 1st January to 16th December) attacks by Fulani herdsmen, illustrated that there were 47 incidents and 1,425 fatalities.
Nigerians, others react
When you're done with the kids, sir, the people of Plateau state are under attack again. There's a spate of killings ongoing in Miango! https://t.co/zDTbwbJlB0
— Gimba Kakanda (@gimbakakanda) October 16, 2017
It is imperative that our leaders do not instigate nor teach retaliatory messages to their members during such fragile periods. #peace
— Plateau Peace Agency (@PLSPeaceAgency) October 15, 2017
There has been herdsmen attack on villagers in Ta'agbe Plateau State since Friday.
Government forms dumbness, like it matters not.— asjts (@asjts) October 15, 2017
Kevin Onovo, an entrepreneur and political analyst, who spoke to Unic Press UK in London, said:
“The Nigerian government has a duty under Section 14 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to ensure the security of the people. So, the nomadic herdsmen prowling the lands of Nigeria to kill and maim innocents must be subject to the Law, otherwise many would soon reach the conclusion that the inability of the Nigerian government to tame a ragtag group of armed herdsmen that allegedly killed more than 1,400 persons in 2016, is not merely a sign of a weak government, but tacit support.”
