By; BUHARI B. BELLO, Jos
The officials of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders { MACBAN} and Gan Allah Fulani Development Association {GAFDAN} have condemned what they described as the incessant attacks and killings of Fulani cattle rearers and their cows allegedly by the Irigwe armed bandits.
A letter of petition written separately to security operatives, state Commissioner of Police, the state Governor and copied the National Security Adviser said: “We describe it as barbaric and an act of disrupting the peace we are enjoying“.
The state Chairman MACBAN, Alhaji Muhammed Nura and the GAFDAN Chairman in the state, Alhaji Wada Shanono respectively added;
“We hereby write to express our great concern over the security challenges that have shown it’s ugly face in Miango chiefdom of Bassa local government area“.
The letter read; “we use this medium to draw your attention to the horrible, abominable, deplorable, terrifying and heinous act of killing the herdsmen, which our investigation shows that it is a communal enormous wickedness, extreme criminality, cruelty and atrocities of the Irigwe militias“.
According to the letter, “The recent happenings are quite alarming, frightening and disturbing.
“Firstly, on Monday, 15th January, 2018 Irigwe armed militias group attacked Fulani rearers around Gidan Ado village and rustled over 300 cows and 56 sheep. The second two herds that were rustled have been recovered completely.“
They alleged that 126 cows with another 26 were recovered alive but sold in the market due to major injuries, seven were recovered healthy, 38 were killed and dumped in a ditch at Mai Yanga village, while the remaining 55 were not recovered and they don’t know their whereabouts.
“For the 56 goats, (45 that belong to Idris Gidado while those belonging to Usha’u Usman Wada) were not recovered.“
In the same vein, on 22nd January, 2018, the Irigwe armed held militias from Kwachudu village of Bassa LGA were allegedly said to have attacked Fulani cattle rearers around Raffin Bauna village shot and matchete 18 cows belonging to the Fulani. A total of five cows were said to have been killed and 13 seriously injured.
“In Bassa again, On Wednesday 24th January, 2018, the Irigwe militias re-attacked Fulani at Raffin Bauna from Kwachudu village. Apart from firing Ibrahim Shehu was abducted by the group and found killed, beheaded and dismantled by the marauders, plunders and predators. It is so much sympathetic, pathetic, sorrowful and grievous that human life and properties of innocent citizens were on daily bases targeted and destroyed without any justification“.
“Therefore Sir, you should use your intelligence to come up with an efficient and enduring method that can overwhelm the resurgence of this Irigwe gunmen and any others who are prowling and roving villages, grazing fields shooting and killing innocent Fulani heardsmen.
“This criminal mobs should never be allowed to intimidate, harass and threaten our peace loving community members any more. We use this medium to call your good office, being one of the effective security agency in the state and the country at large, as you are saddle with the responsibility to curb these menace and security challenges and enforce peace on the plateau and it environ. We are appealing for fair and effective operation in safeguarding innocent citizens.
“As Peace and law abiding citizens, we will continue to support all the security apparatus in ensuring a sustainable peace on the Plateau“, read the three-page petition.
