Two persons feared missing or dead, and cows missing in renewed killings: http://www.africanheraldexpress.com/?q=content/2-feared-dead-fresh-attacks-jos-army-red-alert

Two persons have been confirmed dead in renewed violence in Turu village of Vwang district of Jos local government area of Plateau state. 37 cows are also being reported missing following the killings. A search team by the community yesterday recovered one of the bodies while efforts were on to recover the other body still missing. Following this, the Nigerian army has been placed on red alert, even as acting President departs to the US on a four-day state visit.

Police Public Relations officer, ASP Mohammed Lerama yesterday confirmed the attack. The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Kaduna Vom, (K/Vom) Police station, Superintendent of Police, SP, Isa Adejoh confirmed the attack to our reporter but however said, the case file had been transferred to the commands headquarters in Jos.

The attack is coming barely after Tuesday’s peace meeting convened by the Gbong Gwom, Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, between the Berom, the host community and their Fulani neighbours to find a lasting solution to the perennial killings that have ravaged the state the past years.

The fresh attack was said to have been carried out in a village called Dakyo near Kuru, few miles away from Turu. The deceased were said to have been murdered by suspected Fulani herdsmen while grazing.

According to information gathered yesterday by our reporter from the father of one of the boys killed, Haruna Mandung, 50, said, “our children went out on the 7 April 2010 to graze in Dakyo, a village near Kuru, by 6:00pm we were expecting them to come back but, they did not come back that day, so we became worried.

“The following day, Thursday, 8 April we put a search team from the village to look for their where about as we could not see them. So, we had to report to the K/Vom police station yesterday, (Thursday) about the missing boys and 37 of the cows they had gone out to graze.

“Fortunately, when we again mobilise for more search the next morning, we went there to Dakyo and we were able to recover one corpse. One is still missing up till now that i am talking to you.

“The boy we have found is my own son, Simon Badung. He is 15 years old and his brother, Ishaku Mallam, 25, is still not found. The two of them left on the 7 April for grazing. See how his killers killed him. His head was almost severed. Is brutal and barbaric”. He recounted with tears on his face.

Meanwhile, two districts in Riyom local government area of plateau state yesterday addressed the press stating the level of damages they suffered from the recent killings in Byei village.

Spokesman of the two Community Development Associations, Bachi and Riyom, Bitrus Tawal, said they have become targets of “annihilation” by the “Fulani Terrorists” who have resorted to “using cutlasses to cut their crops with impunity, just to destroy the people’s economic base and provoke them.

“We have lost crops worth over N120,000,000.00 and the Fulanis have also stolen our cows, grains and in the process brutally maimed or killed some defenceless innocent Berom people in these villages”.

The communities recounted that before the “wicked and unacceptable attacks of Baten in Wereng village and Byei in Riyom village in the early hours of 17 March 2010” nine persons had been killed and some cows belonging to members of the communities were rusticated by the Fulanis.

According to spokesman of the communities, Bitrus Tawal, the Fulanis have “forcefully taken over three Berom hamlets namely: Fass, Rotchun and Rankum in Jol village of Riyom district.

“The Fulani have not only forcefully occupied these hamlets but have changed the native names of Rotchun to “Rafin Acha” and Rankum to “Mahanga” which literary means a spying ground in Hausa language”.

The communities accused the Fulanis for deliberately refusing to attend several peace meetings called by the local government but instead resorted to “welcoming their kinsmen from other places far and near with whom they are unleashing their acts of violence on the Berom. They have violently turned Fass, Rotchun, Rankum and Janda a no go area for the original owners and security men in Riyom local government area”.

Otobroto:

Two persons have been confirmed dead in renewed violence in Turu village of Vwang district of Jos local government area of Plateau state. 37 cows are also being reported missing following the killings. A search team by the community yesterday recovered one of the bodies while efforts were on to recover the other body still missing. Following this, the Nigerian army has been placed on red alert, even as acting President departs to the US on a four-day state visit.

Police Public Relations officer, ASP Mohammed Lerama yesterday confirmed the attack. The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Kaduna Vom, (K/Vom) Police station, Superintendent of Police, SP, Isa Adejoh confirmed the attack to our reporter but however said, the case file had been transferred to the commands headquarters in Jos.

The attack is coming barely after Tuesday’s peace meeting convened by the Gbong Gwom, Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, between the Berom, the host community and their Fulani neighbours to find a lasting solution to the perennial killings that have ravaged the state the past years.

When will this ever end, in Jos!.

Story could basically be true, but to me it seems one sided - could we please have the fulani version of events for more objectivity.

Red alert on paper but biz as usual on the ground . We are just decieving ourselves.