Three farmers were killed and one other was injured in attacks in Larkas and Kodahas in Panyam District, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The National President of Mwaghavul Development Association (MDA), Bulus Dabit, confirmed the incident.
Dabit said that the victims were killed in two separate attacks between Monday and Tuesday morning.
He gave the names of the deceased as Gideon Jise (41), Fidelis Usman (49), and Job Amis (28).
He added that they were working on their farm when gunmen suddenly attacked and killed them.
Dabit stated that the gunmen later attacked Jwak village and rustled eight cattle belonging to their members.
Narrating how the incident started, Dabit noted that on Monday, gunmen attacked herders and rustled their cattle between Larkas and Panyam fish farm, explaining that youth from the Mwaghavul ethnic group in Panyam community confronted the rustlers while passing through the town and recovered 16 rustled cattle and handed them over to the security personnel in the area.
He said that despite these efforts, suspected herders from the Jenarate community seemed to be trailing the rustled cattle and attacked their members, killing three and injuring one, instead of commending their youth for recovering some of the rustled cattle.
Mr. Dabit condemned the attack, describing it as barbaric, and accused herders of responsibility for the incident.
But responding, Abubakar Gambo, Chairman of Gan Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria (GAFDAN) in Mangu LGA, dismissed the allegation.
He said they were not aware of the attack on the farming community.
Gambo added that cattle belonging to their members were rustled on Monday in the area.
He said, “We are not aware of the attack, and we are not a party to it. We condemn any attack of that nature because we are law-abiding citizens. We have reported the rustling of our cattle to the security, and they should be allowed to investigate.”
