By Palang Paul
Suspected gunmen have killed a 13-year-old herder, Abubakar Wada, and 36 cattle, while 49 others remain missing following an attack on grazing herders around Inzon community in Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Plateau State.
The attack, which occurred on Tuesday evening, reportedly threw the community into panic as the assailants opened fire on herders returning from grazing. Two of the herders were said to have escaped the ambush.
Confirming the incident, the Plateau State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, said the organisation had recorded significant losses.
“The incident happened in the evening. So far, we have counted 36 cows killed, while 49 others are still missing. The attack was carried out by Berom people from Fan District,” Babayo alleged.
Describing the assault as “barbaric and unprovoked,” Babayo urged herders across the state to remain calm and allow security agencies to handle the situation. “The herders and their cattle were moving peacefully without any provocation. We call on all herders to remain law-abiding while security agencies investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice,” he added.
The MACBAN secretary in Barkin Ladi also confirmed that security operatives had been notified. According to him, senior officers including the Chief of Staff of Operation Enduring Peace, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), and the Sector Commander in the area had visited the scene for assessment.
He further alleged that members of the Berom ethnic group were responsible for the attack, adding that five cattle had been previously killed in the same area on Sunday.
However, the National President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), Barrister Solomon Dalyop, denied the allegations, describing them as false and an attempt to justify attacks on Berom communities.
“As far as we are concerned, this claim against our peace-loving people in Nding and Fan Districts is only a ploy to justify further aggression,” Dalyop stated.
He alleged that Berom communities had recently come under attack by suspected Fulani gunmen. “We are aware of two simultaneous attacks carried out by suspected Fulani armed groups on October 6, which led to the death of one Mr. Timothy Ishaku Chollom,” Dalyop said.
He further expressed concern over the persistent issue of open grazing on farmlands and residential areas, which he said had worsened tensions and threatened food security in the area.
Meanwhile, the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 3 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, said the military had contacted the sector commander in the area for verification of the incident.
Security operatives have since commenced investigations into the attack as residents call for calm and tighter surveillance to prevent further violence in the region.
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