The herding community of Lugagere in the Barkin Ladi local government area of Plateau State has decried the alleged killing of their cattle and the burning of their houses by soldiers.
According to them, the incident happened following the alleged killing of one of their colleagues around Maraban Kantoma, a community that shares a border between Barkin Ladi and Mangu LGAs.
LEADERSHIP Sunday reports that the soldier was killed and his rifle was carted away by the perpetrators at a checkpoint in the area.
The herders said soldiers stormed their community around 3am and opened fire on animals and burned down several houses while they were asleep.
The leader of the herders in the area, Abdullahi Umar, confirmed the incident to journalists in Jos, claiming that the soldiers had asked them to vacate the community if those who killed the soldiers were not provided.
Umar added that despite the killing and destruction of their property, the soldiers said they must provide the perpetrators for an offence they knew nothing about.
The Fulani leader claimed that their community is far away from where the incident occurred, adding that there are other communities close to the checkpoint before their own.
He stressed that the security should have investigated the situation before drawing a conclusion.
“We are calling the soldiers to investigate those who perpetrate the crime and bring them to book. We are also appealing to them to ensure justice. We have witnessed different kinds of harassment from the soldiers,” Umar said.
Meanwhile, when contacted, spokesperson of Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), Major Samson Zhakom, had yet to respond to the inquiry by our correspondent as at the time of filing this report.
