No fewer than 30 people were reportedly killed and 25 others injured on Monday when gunmen struck at Shonong in Bachit District of the Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The latest round of killings came barely 12 days after the burial of the acting heads of Shonong and Attarkar, who were murdered on December 23.

Our correspondent gathered from eye-witnesses that apart from those killed, over 40 houses were torched by the gunmen believed to be Fulani cattle rearers . Also affected were domestic animals belonging to the villagers.

The attackers were said to have stormed the village around 7am on Monday in a commando-like manner, shooting sporadically. Those killed were caught in the pandemonium that followed staccato bursts of gunfire.

Shom Toma, one of the survivors, who is receiving treatment at the Vom Christian Hospital, Jos, told journalists that the attackers numbering over 100 struck at a time most of the villagers had gone to their farms.

Toma said he was moulding some blocks near his house when he heard gunshots. He said most of the victims were children and elderly people.

The Executive Director of Stefanos Foundation, Mr. Mark Lipdo, said that information available to him indicated that the dead could be over 30.

He added that a search team was still going round the village looking for some of the villagers who ran into bushes with gunshot wounds .

Lipdo said, “Information just reaching us says Fulani herdsmen attacked Bachit, Shorong in Riyom LGA. Sources said over 30 bodies were seen in some parts of the community, including the bushes.

“The villagers are presently watching helplessly as soldiers have taken no action because they said they have not been given order to take action.”

But the Plateau State Police Commissioner, Mr. Chris Olakpe, said, “I was told that only four people were killed and a couple of houses burnt.”

A member of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Daniel Dem, described the incident as unfortunate and regrettable.

Dem, who is the Majority Leader of the Plateau State House of Assembly, lamented that the Special Task Force had not been able to stem killings in the area.

He said, “If the military is there in the village and the attack lasted till noon on Monday, then the military has so many questions to answer.”

When contacted, the Spokesman for the Special Task Force, Capt. Salisu Mustapha, said that soldiers at a checkpoint received an alert that two people on their way to the farm had been attacked by gunmen.

He added that the soldiers raced to the scene but received more alerts that the attackers had attacked the village.

“The soldiers had to call for reinforcement as the attackers came in large numbers,” Mustapha said, adding that six people were confirmed killed and five others wounded.

He also said that the STF Commander, Maj. Gen. David Enetie, had gone to the area.

Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/gunmen-kill-30-burn-40-houses-in-plateau/

Insainity up north. But will Jos flare up again too?

Even BH is second to Fulani Herdsmen in this country. They 've brought us more terror than Boko Haram.

God Abeg I am going to jos this morning o....

This issue of cattle rustling is taking a new dimension. Imagine a Berom man having 100 cattle? In as much as i condemn the killings, i must say at this junction that the Berom should stop stealing fulani cattle, because a fulani without his cattle is a dead man, a man without respect. The fulani on their part should stop equaling a cattle life with that of a human.

One killed, 500 cows stolen as STF meets with locals in Plateau
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/one-killed-500-cows-stolen-as-stf-meets-with-locals-in-plateau/

Right now another Plateau tribe that is buying this cattle rustling trade are the Taroq people of Langtang. They have stolen virtually all the cattle belonging to Fulani in Wase and are now shifting their attention to Shendam people. This is evident in recent attack on Kuka and Yamini villages by Taroq militia.


Fulani herdsmen warn Plateau cattle rustlers. The Plateau State Chapter of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), has warned Tarokh youths against persistent rustling of cattle belonging to its members in the State. The association made this known yesterday following the rustling of 500 cattle last Monday in Lonvel village of Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State.

http://peoplesdailyng.com/fulani-herdsmen-warn-plateau-cattle-rustlers/


The STF, three weeks ago, claimed that the task-force killed 100 suspected assailants who attacked and killed more than 30 persons and displaced over 700 families in Langtang South Local Government Area. The Chairman Miyitt-Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association, Plateau Branch, Boro Useni, and a pastor who narrowly escaped being killed in the Wase violence, Sadauna Adogo, identified the root causes of the Southern Plateau crisis to be criminality among the youth. Mr. Adogo accused Tarok youth of being the perpetrators of violence in Wase Local Government Area and the brains behind the cow thefts in the area.

http://premiumtimesng.com/regional/141510-update-four-cattle-rustlers-jailed-in-jos-as-herdsmen-abandon-peace-meeting.html

Ranching as panacea to cattle rustling in Plateau
http://www.nigerianpilot.com/ranching-as-panacea-to-cattle-rustling-in-plateau/

When contacted, the Spokesman for the Special Task Force, Capt. Salisu
Mustapha, said that soldiers at a checkpoint received an alert that two people on
their way to the farm had been attacked by gunmen.

But the Plateau State Police Commissioner, Mr. Chris Olakpe, said, “I was told
that only four people were killed and a couple of houses burnt.”

Who is giving this outrageous figure of 30 dead? both the STF and Police says not less than 5 pple are dead.