Gunmen reportedly attacked herders and rustled no fewer than 170 cattle in separate incidents across Barkin Ladi and Jos East Local Government Areas of Plateau State.
Naijaonpoint reports that the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in the state, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday, saying the coordinated attacks that happened on Wednesday, December 10, targeted herders in two communities.
According to him, the first attack occurred in Nding community, Fan District of Barkin Ladi LGA, where 137 cows were rustled.
The second incident, he said, happened in the Kukukah community of Jos East LGA, where 34 cows were driven away.
Babayo listed the affected herders as Alhaji Wada Sale, Abdullahi Yusuf, and Alhaji Talba Abubakar.
Narrating the incident, Babayo said armed men stormed the grazing areas and began shooting, forcing the herders to run for safety.
“On December 10, the gunmen stormed the grazing areas and started shooting. They succeeded in rustling the cattle while the herders escaped,” he stated.
He added that he promptly notified security agencies in the state, including the DSS, Operation Enduring Peace, the Police, and the Sector 4 Commander in Barkin Ladi.
The MACBAN chairman appealed for calm among affected members and urged security operatives to track down those responsible.
But the Berom Youth Moulders Association countered the herders’ account, insisting that no incident of cattle rustling occurred in the Nding area.
The National President of BYM, Barrister Solomon Dalyop, told Daily Trust that their findings revealed no such activity.
“We are shocked to hear that cattle were rustled in the area. From our findings, there is no such incident. And if there was, they should allow security agencies to investigate and ascertain whether it is true or not,” he said.
He described the allegation as “a fallacy and a calculated attempt to carry out terror attacks on our people.”
When contacted, the acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 3rd Division, Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, said the matter would be forwarded to the sector commander and intelligence department for further action.
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