A fresh clash has led to death of four herders and nine cows, while several houses were set ablaze in two separate attacks in Bokkos and Bassa LGAs of Plateau State on Tuesday.
Five other people, including women, sustained injuries during the attacks and are currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Bokkos.
Many believe it was in retaliation of some killings, which include that of a clergyman, Reverend Mikang Lekyil, who was shot dead by suspected kidnappers in Kwakas.
The clergyman’s murder was allegedly followed by the burning of a Fulani settlement in the Dingak community.
The incidents occurred just hours after an earlier attack in which seven members of a family were killed in the Kopmur community, Mushere District of Bokkos.
These developments have heightened tensions in the Bokkos area.
On Tuesday alone, seven people were reportedly killed in Kopmur, adding to the growing unrest.
Speaking on the renewed violence, the Plateau State chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, confirmed that one of the attacks took place in Tangoron, Bassa LGA, while the second occurred in Mushere, Bokkos LGA.
He said gunmen killed a herder and opened fire on grazing cattle, resulting in the killing of nine animals.
In a different statement, Chairman of the Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC), Farmasum Fuddang, claimed that reported killings of herders in Mushere Central may be an attempt to divert attention from previous attacks allegedly carried out by herders on farming communities.
“If such an incident occurred, they should report it to the appropriate security agencies. Making such claims only points to their culpability in previous attacks on our people,” he said.
In recent times, parts of Plateau State have been plagued by recurring clashes between farming and herding communities, with both sides accusing each other of deadly attacks and reprisals, while security agencies’ efforts have yielded little or no result in stemming the problem.
