A farmer, Yakubu Bitrus, has allegedly lost one of his hands after suspected herders attacked him in Agingi community, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Bitrus said the attackers descended on him after he declined to help retrieve a cow that had fallen into a ditch, with the confrontation later escalating into a physical assault.
According to the farmer, the incident occurred on Friday after he and two women had spent the day working on their farm and stopped to eat before returning home.
He said a young herder approached them during the break, explaining that one of his cows had become trapped and asking for their assistance to lift the animal.
Bitrus said he declined because he was the only man among the three of them and could not leave the women alone. He instead advised the herder to seek assistance from other farmers in the area.
The farmer alleged that the herder rejected the suggestion, became aggressive and chased him with a stick and cutlass after warning that the cow might die and there would be consequences.
Bitrus said he later returned to the area with other people to assist with the rescue but found neither the herders nor the cow, alleging that the men had concealed themselves nearby and waited for him to leave.
He said the attackers later struck as he and the two women were returning home, adding that his wife was attacked after she briefly left the road to gather firewood.
According to him, he rushed to his wife after hearing her scream and found her being beaten. He picked up a piece of wood to defend her, but the confrontation attracted more suspected herders from the bush.
Bitrus said the group overpowered him during the ensuing struggle, with one of the attackers allegedly using a machete to sever his hand before the assailants fled into the bush.
The farmer narrated his ordeal in a video while receiving treatment at a hospital, with the account circulating on social media on Friday.