Fulani coalition calls for probe into killing of herder in Plateau
By CHRISTIANA LOT, Jos –
In Plateau, members of the Coalition of Indigenous Fulani Registered Organisations are seeking an investigation into the killing of a 17-year old Fulani herder and the theft of over 170 cattle in Barkin-Ladi local government area.
The chairman of the coalition, Garba Abdulahi Mohammed, spoke to reporters in Jos on Thursday, alleging a series of attacks on Fulani herders in Barkin Ladi, Mangu, and Bokkos council areas of the state.
He narrated that the recent incident occurred on Tuesday this week when one Abubakar Abudulmumin was attacked and killed, another person identified as Abdulsalam Ibrahim critically injured and presently receiving treatment at the Mainasara Hospital in Barkin Ladi.
“In the attack 104 cows and 30 sheep were killed, injured, and rustled by the militia from Nafan and Nyerwei villages in fan district of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State. The marauding attackers stormed the area at about 3:00 pm on motorcycles and started shooting sporadically while the Fulani herders were grazing.
“The attackers retreated through the same villages with the proceeds from their dastard act. The cows were grazing on barren fields that have no any farms nearby capable of provoking the attackers”
He also reported that a group of cattle thieves raided Bot village in Bokkos local government, rustling 71 cows owned by Alhaji Sani Hurti. The perpetrators were said to be part of a rustling syndicate from Mangu Local Government and accomplices from Bokkos Local Government.
According to him, earlier in February 2024 a cow belonging to Alh. Abubakar was shot and killed, and one Abdulrahman Abubakar was beaten by some militia youths from Nyerwei village in front of the military personnel stationed at Nyerwei village and is currently lying in comma at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) in Jos with little hope of survival.
Despite these recent attacks, Mohammad emphasized that the Fulani community had been living peacefully with other members of the community, carrying out their herding and other lawful activities uninterrupted for several months. He alleged that the attacks on the Fulani people and their businesses were a tactical and calculated approach to provoke and intimidate them.
“The Fulani man will continue to be law abiding, peace loving, self-reliant and business oriented for economic growth. We are also calling on our members to continue to be law abiding and desist from any act capable of jeopardizing the nascent peace currently enjoyed on the plateau. We encourage them to report any irregularities to the security agencies for action.”
The Coalition Chairman urged security agencies to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators responsible for the attacks that resulted in the deaths of innocent Fulani herders and the theft of 175 cows valued at approximately N105 million.
Additionally, they called upon Federal, State, and Local Governments to compensate the victims of these unwarranted attacks. The group also appealed to the federal and state governments, security forces, and other relevant parties to implement protective measures for herders and their livelihoods to prevent provocation, intimidation, and isolated incidents of violence.