The Fulani community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State have raised alarm over what it describes as incessant attacks targeted at herdsmen, stealing and poisoning of their cows by ethnic militia groups masquerading as local vigilantes.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by a
representative of the Fulani community in council, Abdullahi Yusuf, the
targeted attacks have become a worrying pattern aimed at provoking the herdsmen
to react so that they will be tagged the aggressors who do not want to live in
peace with others in the state.
Yusuf referenced an unprovoked attack on herdsmen on Monday,
February 2nd, where he said a group he labeled as “Berom Militias” opened fire
on herders who were peacefully grazing their cattle and in the process, rustled
an unspecified number of cows in Weren Camp, while three other cows were
poisoned in Kwi district of the LGA.
“Innocent Fulani herdsmen have become targets of ethnic
militias in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State and no one is talking
about these targeted attacks,” Yusuf said in the statement.
“These attacks follow similar patterns where they will trace
herders to where they are grazing their cattle, open fire on them, and when the
herders flee for safety, they will steal their cows. Another disturbing aspect
is the poisoning of our cows which they know are our source of livelihood.”
Yusuf stated that so far, the Fulani community has been
advising their people to remain calm and allow security agencies to handle the
matter, but regretted that their restraints have been taken for granted.
“The latest incident in Kwi Village is not isolated. The
community is now becoming notorious for cattle poisoning, with repeated attacks
undermining the safety of pastoralists and their families.
“The deliberate attacks on livestock and herdsmen show a
coordinated effort to destabilize Plateau communities and failure to decisively
address these threats risks normalizing violence, increasing civilian
casualties, and entrenching Plateau State armed militias as de facto security
actors.”
Yusuf, who strongly condemned the attacks, described them as
“criminal, unacceptable, and a serious threat to peaceful coexistence” among
the pastoral community in Riyom.
He called on relevant security agencies to investigate the
incidents, identify the perpetrators, and bring them to justice while also
appealing to the Plateau State Government to adopt proactive measures to
prevent further occurrences and protect lives, property, and livestock in the
affected areas.
“We therefore call for urgent joint security measures,
including sustained patrols, intelligence-led interdiction of militia cells,
and decisive disruption of cattle rustling and poisoning networks to prevent
further deterioration of the security situation in Plateau state,” Yusuf added.
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