Two herders, a male and a female, were reportedly killed on Monday evening around the Tahore community in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Herders in the area said the deceased were ambushed and shot dead while returning home from Maikatako market on a motorcycle.

Plateau State Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, who confirmed the incident to journalists in Jos, said the incident occurred in the evening.

The MACBAN chairman gave the names of the victims as Umar Sa’idu and Rashida Yakubu.
He condemned the incident and called on security agencies to take action immediately to prevent a cycle of violence in the Bokkos general area.

“Soon after the attack, I informed the commander of Operations Safe Haven and GOC 3 Division of the Nigerian Army about the incident. I also informed the state commissioner of police and the State Director of Security,” he said.
“They all asked us to be patient as they would carry investigation into the matter and warned us against reprisal.”

Babayo called on members of the Fulani community to remain calm and law-abiding, saying, “We should not take the law into our own hands.
“Though what is happening to our members is heartbreaking, we trust security forces to be just. We have lost over 100 cattle and herders recently, and now two more members.”

Contacted on the incident, John Apollos Maton, Member Bokkos Cultural Development Council (BCDC) Vanguard and Secretary, Ron-Kulere Jos and Environs, said they were not aware of the incident.

“Our members have not attacked anyone. The only people they engage with are the terrorists who attack our communities. So if they are claiming these people, then they are the terrorists that have been attacking us, ”
Maton said.

A spokesperson of Operation Safe Haven, Major Samson Zhakom, has not responded to journalists’ inquiries on the incident.

Many people were killed in attacks on villages in Bokkos between March and April. In response, security forces, including police and soldiers, deployed personnel to restore law and order.

Last week, a security meeting was held at the instance of Major General Folusho Oyinlola, GOC 3 Division and Commander of Operation Safe Haven, amid renewed violence in Jos South and Riyom Local Government Areas