Gyang Bere, Jos
Eight persons were killed and 10 others injured on Thursday night when suspected Fulani herdsmen launched fresh attack on Jabu-Maingo village of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Saturday Sun gathered that the attack, which took place around 9pm also left 20 houses burnt with foodstuff and property worth millions of naira. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Tyopev Matthias Terna, who confirmed the attack however said three persons were killed, eight others injured and 20 houses burnt.
“The Command received a distress call at about 9pm on Thursday that some gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen were attacking a village at Jebu-Maingo in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
“Immediately, the Divisional Police Officer mobilised his men to the scene and also the command mobilised some armed men to go for reinforcement, on arrival when the assailants sighted the police, the armed men suspected to be Fulani herdsmen deserted the village.
“After then, we discovered that three people lost their lives, two have been identified as Danlami of Kwal District, Emmanuel Audu of Jebu-Maingo and the third person is yet to be identified, 20 houses were set ablaze and eight persons sustained gun shots injuries and were taken to Enos hospital, Bassa for treatment”, the police spokesman stated.
Eyewitnesses however told Saturday Sun that eight persons were killed in the attack. “Three corpses were found in the scene and five others recovered in the bush as they were fleeing to escape, while ten others were injured and 20 houses burnt”, an eyewitness disclosed. Member representing Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency, Hon. Suleiman Kwande condemned the attack and called on security agencies in the state to fish out the perpetrators to face the wrath of the law. Suleimen, who paid the medical bill of the injured persons at Enos hospital, Bassa, begged for calm and urged the communities to report any suspicious movement around them to avert continuous loss of lives.
The state governor, Simon Lalong condemned fresh killings in the state and condemned those spreading the rumour that government has carved out land in Riyom, Barkin-Ladi, Bassa and Bokkos Local Government Areas for cattle colonies in the state.
A statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dan Manjang, said the state government has never contemplated such action and urged Plateau People to shun rumour capable of throwing the state into violence.
“Governor Simon Bako Lalong does not contemplate such action and he further calls on all good citizens of Plateau to bury such imagination of these elements bent on throwing the State into confusion. Cattle colonies are not in the imagination of Governor Lalong”, he stated.
