Police hunt for killers of herdsmen in Kogi

The Police Command in Kogi says it has launched a manhunt for some youths that allegedly killed two Fulani herdsmen in Egume, Dekina Local Government Area of the state.

The command’s spokesman, DSP William Aya, told newsmen in Lokoja on Sunday that the herdsmen were grazing their cows in the bush when the youths attacked them, killing two of them and injuring three others.

Aya said that the incident which occurred on March 10 was unwarranted as the herdsmen were on their legitimate duty and did not herd their cows into any farm.

He said that the police on hearing of the incident rushed to the scene, evacuated the injured and the dead victims to the Grimmad Hospital, Ayingba.

He appealed to Fulanis in the state not to embark on reprisal, saying that police would ensure justice in the matter by bringing the perpetrators to book.

In its reaction, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MCBAN) has expressed shock over the attack launched on its members in Egume.

The state Chairman of the group, Alhaji Umar Yusuf, who expressed the shock when he visited the scene, identified Yahaya Aliyu, Husssini Aliyu, and Shuaib Sule as those injured during the incident.

According to him, the attack was unwarranted and a setback to ongoing efforts to ensure peaceful co-existence between the Fulani and other tribes in the state.

Yusuf, who spoke through the state Assistant Secretary of the group, Mr. Abubakar Adamu, said that the attackers also killed some cows during the attack.

He said that the Fulanis had been warned not to retaliate, saying that this was to enable police to get to the roots of the matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.