By Muhammad Tanko Shittu
Five civilians and three men of the Special Task Force (STF) have been confirmed killed in a midnight attack by gunmen on the Jol locality in Riyom local government area of Plateau state.
STF media/information officer, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, who disclosed this, said “the incident occurred at about 1:30am yesterday.”
Iweha said the attack was suspected have occurred as an act of reprisal, over the killing of some 60 cattle of Fulani herdsmen some two days ago.
Iweha further said the STF had since restored calmness and order in to the area.
He did not state who did the attack, but a Berom youth leader, Mr. Dalyop Dantong, told the BBC Hausa Service that they suspected Fulani to have carried out the attack.
In a swift response, the state chairman of Miyyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Alhaji Usaini Boro, also told the BBC Hausa service that it wasn’t their men that carried out the attack.
He said:”All we know is that a lot of our cattle were killed in the area recently.
“Why is it whenever bad things occurred, it is alleged that we did it.”
Blueprint yesterday reported the killing of some 60 cattle with some other 30 of them been wounded.