Unidentified gunmen have fatally shot a 17-year-old herder and 35 cows in Nafan community, located in Fan District, as well as Doruwa Babuje in Ropp District, within the Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the assailants, riding on motorcycles, carried out the attack by opening fire and fatally shooting the herder. Another herder sustained severe injuries during the incident.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State condemned the act and urged the relevant security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators. This statement was conveyed by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Mr. Gyang Bere, in a release issued on Thursday in Jos.
Mutfwang emphasized that his administration would not tolerate any form of lawlessness or violence against innocent and law-abiding citizens.
”We condemn in totality these acts of lawlessness that is undermining the government’s effort to entrench harmonious living among all and sundry in the state.
”My administration will no longer tolerate brutal killings of innocent citizens, either on their farms or in any parts of the state, while pursuing their legitimate means of livelihood.
”I have directed the security agencies to hunt and track down the perpetrators of these heinous crimes and ensure justice for the victims,” Gyang quoted Mutfwang.
Gyang further stated that the governor urged traditional, community, and religious leaders, along with youth and women groups in the affected areas, to work together with other stakeholders to restore peace and stability in the communities.
Expressing condolences to the affected families, the governor advised all residents of the state to expose any criminal elements within their communities, emphasizing that they should be prepared to face legal consequences.