At least 27 persons have been killed in Barkin Ladi Local Government Council of Plateau State in attacks by people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen on Monday and Tuesday nights.
The Council Chairman, Dr. Emmanuel Loman, who attended the mass burial of the 27 victims of the attacks told Thisday on phone, that the massacre started in Ninji village where the Fulani rustled cows belonging to the natives which was promptly reported to the police after they had killed seven people.
According to Loman, the police traced the Fulani where they were loading the cows into a truck and arrested the culprits.
Apparently upset by the arrest, the remaining Fulani reportedly regrouped and attacked Ropp, another village in Barkin Ladi, with sophisticated weapons, killing 20 more villagers.
“Seven people were initially killed at Ninji village on Monday, then 20 people were killed in Ropp on Tuesday night bringing the total to 27. As I speak to you now, I am at the mass burial of our 27 people massacred by the Fulani and their mercenaries. This is the handiwork of the Fulani people living amongst us. They harbour mercenaries and terrorists in carrying out this dastardly act,” Loman said.
According to him, security personnel had been killed in the recent past and even the security personnel keep it secret to themselves. “I don’t know what informs that. I don’t also know the reason for reducing the number of victims by the security people. What does that do to their image? It does not reduce their image if they say the actual figure.”
“We have been shouting that there are terrorists here but there has been no response. These terrorists want to make Barkin Ladi another Sambisa Forest. The Federal Government must do something and quickly too,” he said.
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