The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders' Association of Nigeria has spoken out on attacks on Plateau villages by suspected herdsmen where over 86 persons were hacked to death.
File photo
The apex cattle breeders’ organisation, Miyetti Allah, has distanced itself and debunked reports that it justified the recent killings of over 100 people in Plateau State.
The group’s leader in the North-central, Danladi Ciroma, was reported as saying the killings were a retaliation of previous acts of deadly aggression against Fulani residents and pastoralists in the state.
“These attacks are retaliatory. As much as I don’t support the killing of human being, the truth must be told that those who carried out the attacks must be on revenge mission,” Ciroma was quoted as saying in a statement.
“Fulani herdsmen have lost about 300 cows in the last few weeks – 94 cows were rustled by armed Berom youths in Fan village, another 36 cows were killed by Berom youths. In addition to that, 174 cattle were rustled.”
Ciroma has now strongly protested the quotes credited to him as there appears to be no documented evidence to counter his rebuttal.
Multiple accounts said the killings occurred between the afternoon of June 23 and the early hours of June 25 in several communities in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, about 50 kilometres south of Jos, the state capital. About 100 have been confirmed killed by the police.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said its findings revealed at least 218 people were killed as at June 27. The police could not immediately corroborate CAN’s figures.