Soldiers deployed in the Benue and
Nasarawa states border have allegedly killed about six Fulani herdsmen
and over 150 cows at Akpanagya, in the Keana Local Government Area of
Nasarawa State.
The acting Police Public Relations
Officer, Nasarawa State Command, ASP Usman Samaila, who confirmed this
in a telephone interview with The PUNCH in Lafia, said the command
received information that the military personnel came from Benue and
carried out the operation that led to the killing of six people
suspected to be Fulani herders in the state.
He said the command did not know what really happened between the Fulani herders and the military men.
He said, “The command is aware of the incident that took place in the Keana Local Government Area of the state.
“I can confirm to you that our men went
to the scene of the incident and recovered about six dead bodies killed
by the suspected military men in the area.”
He described the incident as “a wild
operation that was formed by the military personnel to prevent an
unabated crisis between Fulani herders and Tiv farmers at Benue and
Nasarawa states border.”
According to him, the command had
already drafted its personnel to Keana Local Government Area of the
state to avert any possible future crisis.
Reacting to the killings of their people
and cows, the Chairman of the Miyyeti Allah Cattle Breeders
Association, Nasarawa State Chapter, Mallam Muhammed Hussein, expressed
sadness over the attack.
Hussein, while addressing journalists at
the Association’s secretariat in Lafia on Wednesday, said, “We are not
happy that six of our members were shot dead by some bad eggs who are in
the military.
“If the military suspects any Fulani man for any crime, they should arrest and prosecute him and not to just kill like that.
“I am not aware of what led to the
attack but I was informed that some soldiers just invaded a Fulani
settlement and shot six of our people, including a traditional title
holder in the Fulani community.
“We want the government to investigate and punish the soldiers who carried out the killing because we are not going to take it.”
He added, “If you claim that the Fulani
people committed a crime, how about the cows, what did the cows do that
they will kill 150 cows?”
However, the Director, Army Public
Relations, Brig. Gen. Texas Chukwu, said he had yet to be briefed on
such an operation in Nasarawa and Benue states.
He promised to get back to our correspondent if such incident took place.
He said, “I have not heard anything from
that general area. I will reach the brigade commanders and officers on
the ground, but I have no record presently of such an incident.”
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