Suspected herdsmen kill two in Plateau

Two persons were ambushed and killed yesterday by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Wereng-Kum village, of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The incident occurred around 11 p.m., on Sunday night, leaving Bulus Dantoro 35, and a 28-year-old Dung Christopher, who were heading home on a motorcycle, dead.

The Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Tyopev Marthias Terna, confirmed the incident. He said that the victims were killed with knives and machetes by unknown men.

Terna further said: “The dead bodies were recovered at the scene around 8:15 a.m., yesterday morning by miners who were on their way to mining camp. The police recovered two sticks belonging to the gunmen and a motorcycle belonging to the deceased persons at the scene. Presently, investigation is ongoing to fish out the perpetrators.”

Chairman of Riyom Local Government Area, Hon. Emmanuel Danboyi Jugul, called on the Federal Government to intervene and check killings in the area before everyone is wiped out.

Jugul said: “Several persons have been ambushed and killed by suspected gunmen in the last one week, and no arrest had been made.”

General Secretary of Berom Educational and Cultural Organization (BECO), Davou Choji Davou, said federal and state governments have abandoned his people who are being killed on a daily basis by suspected herdsmen.

He called on the United Nations (UN) to investigate the killing of innocent persons in Plateau State. He begged the UN to direct the Federal Government to take proactive steps to curtail the killings.

Davou said: "We are constrained to call on the United Nations, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, ECOWAS and all other international bodies to treat the case of the Berom on the Plateau as a typical case of genocide and systematic ethnic cleansing. BECO, on its part, has continued to cry out, document and report the prosecution of this agenda to the National Security Adviser’s Office, the governor and all other security outfits right up to the highest level of government. We had hoped that the perpetrators of these crimes will be ‘fished’ out and brought to justice.”