Five travellers burnt to death in Plateau

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7 years ago

FIVE Fulani travellers were burnt to death on Thursday night at Heipang in Barakin-Ladi local government area of Plateau State while returning from Kara Cattle Market in Jos South council area.

The secretary, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), in Barkin Ladi, Abubakar Gambo who disclosed this to newsmen said the five herdsmen were retuning from a market in the neighbouring local government when the vehicle conveying them was waylaid by hoodlums at Heipang and set ablaze with its five occupants.

The MACBAN Secretary who said the incident occurred at about 7:00 pm added that the vehicle which was also conveying cows was set ablaze and the cows roasted while the occupants were nowhere to be found.

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“This is the third attack on our people while travelling and it is becoming a routine. Four of our people travelling in a vehicle with five cows were, on the 10th of June, ambushed around Fan. While three people escaped, one person is still missing and assumed dead while the vehicle and cows were stolen by the militia. On the same day, some Fulani travellers returning from the same Kara market were ambushed and one person was killed, all within Barkin Ladi.” Gambo said.

Saturday Tribune findings revealed that there is palpable tension in the local government for fear of reprisal by herdsmen while security agents are combing the area to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

The Media and Information Officer of the special task force in the state, Major Adam Umar who confirmed the incident said the ambush occurred around Heipang –railway roundabout and that the assailants fled by the time the taskforce arrived the scene.

He said the vehicle and the surviving cow had been moved to the Heipang police station adding that men of the command were on the trail of those behind the incident.

Also, the Police Public Relations officer, ASP Tyopev Terna said the police were searching for the five victims, adding that security agents had recorded the crime as arson and kidnapping.