NO fewer than 10 people were killed and over 20 houses burnt in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State as a result of hostility between Fulani herdsmen and the natives.
Also, the anti-bomb squad of the Plateau State Police Command on Friday defused a bomb close to the resident of a prominent Islamic scholar, Sheik Yahaya Jingir in Jos.
Since Wednesday this week, there have been reported attacks and counter attacks between the Fulani herdsmen and the natives in Mangu Local Government Area of the state during which three people were beheaded in Kantoma village in the area.
Saturday Tribune learnt that the incident got to its peak in the early hours of Friday when people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen on revenge mission swooped on Shurun village and killed 10 people, while more then 20 houses were set ablaze.
An eye wittiness told Saturday Tribune that the herdsmen, whose arrival was heralded by sporadic gunshots, scared residents of the village, while some of them, especially women, fled into the bush for safety, adding that the attackers were aided by the Fulanis living within the village and other surrounding villages.
“It is quite worrisome that the gunmen have been identified as Fulani herdsmen living within our communities. They carried out this deadly attack and get back to their huts unhurt the calibre of arms and ammunition used by the attackers goes to show that it was well cordinated to eliminate us,” he said.
When contacted, Plateau Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abu Emmanuel, said he was yet to get details of the attack from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the locality.
Still reeling from the attack, a suspected bomb planted at a place in Seriki Mangu area of Jos North Local Government Area of the state close to the house of a prominent Islamic scholar, Shiek Yahaya Jingir, was defused in the early hours of Friday by men of the anti-bomb squad of the Plateau State Police Command.
Saturday Tribune learnt that the Islamic scholar and his followers, who were celebrating the Eid-el-Malud, might be the target of those who planted the bomb.
The Special Task Force Media Officer, Captain Iweka Ikedichi, who confirmed the incident to Saturday Tribune, said the bomb was planted in the area on Thursday ahead of the festival, but was discovered same night.
According to him, immediately it was discovered, the entire vicinity was condoned off and men of the state anti-bomb squad were invited on Friday to diffuse the bomb.
Source: www.tribune.com
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