No fewer than eight persons were killed and 95 houses burnt when attackers invaded Abonong and Zayit communities in Foron district of Barkin Ladi local government area of Plateau.
Spokesman of the Plateau police command, Terna Tyopev, said the attackers hit the community in the wee hours of Wednesday.
He said 310 cows were also rustled, while three other persons were severely injured.
Tyopev said: “When we received information that Abonong and Zayit communities were being attacked, we quickly mobilised and rushed to the affected areas.
“But, when we approached the areas, the attackers sighted us and took to their heels.
“When we eventually entered the attacked settlements, we found that eight persons were killed, 95 houses burnt, while 310 cows were stolen.”
Tyopev said the bandits also stole foodstuff and destroyed properties worth millions of naira.
“As we speak, security has been beefed up in the areas to forestall further attacks,” he said.
Earlier yesterday, a Pastor of Church of Christ in Nation (COCIN) LCC Abonong, Foron in Barkin Ladi LGC of Plateau State, Rev Adamu Gyang Wurim, alongside his wife and three children were burnt alive by suspected herdsmen.
Meanwhile, the Berom Educational and Cultural Organisation (BECO)has called on the government and security operatives to fish out the killer herdsmen who carried the recent attack that claimed the lives of 10 persons, including a pastor and his family members.
BECO equally said they have lost 20 persons and over 225 farms destroyed alongside crops in the past three weeks.
They added that nobody will force them out of their God-given land and territory through conquest.
BECO, which is the umbrella body of all Berom, through its Secretary, Da Davou Choji Davou, said over 100 houses were also burnt within the aforementioned period.
According to Davou, “The past three weeks have been very bloody for the Berom following sustained and coordinated attacks by killer herdsmen, which have left more than 20 of our people dead, so many with serious injuries, large portions of farmlands and crops waiting to be harvested, destroyed and several houses burnt.
“More than 225 farmlands with crops such as maize, guinea corn, sweet potatoes, bene seed, Funio, Finger and assorted vegetables estimated at millions of naira and awaiting to be harvested were within the same period also destroyed.
“These attacks which continued up to Tuesday, August28, 2018 with overnight strike 8 villages of Fan and Foron Districts in Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area left 10 persons dead, including Rev. Adamu Gyang Wurim of COCIN LCC Abonong, his wife and three children who were gruesomely burnt in their house.”
“The Berom nation condemns, in totality, the dastardly and unprovoked attacks on their communities and wanton destruction of farmlands and crops by the cruel and heartless terrorists.
“We are more worried that these attacks are taking place at a time security is said to have been heightened within and around the affected communities in the wake of 28 June-2nd July 2018 attacks on communities in Riyom and Barkin-Ladi LGA in which more than 200 innocent souls were murdered.
“The attack is coming at a period the Berom nation and indeed all people of goodwill are still mourning the massacre of their compatriots and exploring ways of returning the more than 38,000 displaced persons to their places of abode.
“To these, rampaging militia, the Berom nation wishes to restate in clear and unambiguous terms that we will not cede an inch out of our God giving territory through conquest. For us, what is playing out at the moment is the dismal failure of government and the security agencies to give our communities the desire security cover against the invaders.
“We equally call on international humanitarian and philanthropic organizations as well as people of goodwill to urgently come to the aid of our people who have been displaced from their ancestral home by providing relief materials and me,” the group said.