Tragedy struck again on Sunday night with over 14 persons feared dead in two separate fresh attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Jos South and Bassa Local Government Areas of Plateau State.

The killings came at the time when the governor of the state, Simon Lalong, was in Beijing, China, with President Muhammadu Buhari for the 7th Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation scheduled to hold from September 3 to 4.

The latest killings came barely 24 hours after the alarm raised by the Executive Director of Stephanos Foundation, a civil rights’ organisation, Mark Lipdo, of fresh plots by the herdsmen to attack some villages in the State.

He said, “It is rumoured that the Fulani will sweep over Berom Land on (Sunday) September 2. This was how all the past attacks were rumoured and the security operatives took it for granted until hundreds were wiped out, some in their sleep. Here again is another rumour.

“What will the security operatives do? Sit down do nothing until blood is spilled!! God, arise and defend the cause of the defenseless in the land. It is another rumour, but today rumours seem to be more authentic than government information. So sad!!!.”

PUNCH learnt that in one of the attacks which took place at a community called Rati around Du village, close to Dogo Nahawa, the herdsmen came on motorbikes and shot indiscriminately at the villagers killing twelve persons on the spot.

During the second incident, the assailants were said to have laid an ambush on their victims in Adu village in Kwall District, Bassa LGA around 11pm and shot at their targets.

While one was killed on the spot, the second victim was said to have died on Monday morning in the hospital. – Punch

– Sept. 3, 2018 @ 11:22 GMT |