At least three persons, including two brothers of the same parents, have been confirmed dead following a fresh attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen on Dong District in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Sources in the community gave the identities of the victims as including Bere Dor (25) and Gaire Dor (35) of the same parents and from Miango District in Bassa Local Government Area. The third victim was simply identified as Jephter from Dong District.
The attack was said to have taken place around 8:00 pm on Thursday night, some metres from the checkpoint of the Special Military Taskforce codenamed, ‘Operation Safe Haven’, during an ambush laid by the assailants for the vigilantes guiding the community.
The burial of the corpses on Friday were however delayed for some hours because of a heavy rain.
The killing came less than one week after a reconciliation committee, set up by the Chairperson of Jos North Local Government Area, Sarah Bali, between indigenes and Fulani people was held.
Joseph Ari Izang, The Personal Assistant to Chief Kaze Inyam, Ada Gwom (District Head) of Dong District, gave the details of the incident on Saturday.
He said, “The Fulani people came around 8:00 pm on Thursday night and we heard their gunshots. Our youths were on the mountains, waiting for them. But unfortunately, they were attacked by the Fulani boys, who had laid an ambush for them.
“It seemed like they climbed some rocky areas from where they launched the attack. The two brothers killed were from Miango (Irigwe), while the third person was from Mangu in Dong District.”
The Spokesperson for Miango Youths Development Association, Lawrence Zongo, told our correspondent that the two brothers were his kinsmen.
He said, “Bere Dor and Gaire Dor are of the same mother and father. (We have had) enough of the ethnic cleansing by the Fulani herdsmen who are busy terrorising our people. Yet security operatives cannot go after them. The Fulani terrorists that killed my people are living in Rafi Bauna and using the place as their hideout.”
When contacted, the Spokesperson for Plateau State Police Command, Matthias Tyopev, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, confirmed that three persons were killed.
He said, “Yes, three persons were killed in Dong District and have been buried. That is the update for now. Any other development will be communicated to you.”
