Yakubu Busari
Berom and Fulani communities killings has deepens as the two warring factions defy government warning, even as they had continue to fight for ownership of Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Wase Local Governments.
The incessant attacks have seen leaders of warring communities accused each other of having hidden agenda.
The authorities of Fulani and Berom communities in Barkin Ladi local government area of Plateau state have blamed the recent incessant attacks bedeviling the area on a hidden agenda to take ownership of the locality.
According to them, more than five hundred people have reportedly lost their lives in the last few months with many rendered homeless and currently residing at the various Internally Displaced Persons camp across the state
The attacks have continued unabated in Barkin Ladi local Government on the Plateau, in spite of attempts by various groups to broker peace between the Fulanis and Beroms.
In recent times, the crisis has worsened with more than 500 people reportedly killed, as attacks and counter attacks by the warring parties on farmlands, communities and cattle have resulted in the destruction of properties with the cause of the clashes still yet to be ascertained.
In the early days of the conflict. , many believed cattle rustling was the root of the problem being a regular practice between Berom and Fulani herdsmen
The conflict now seems to be more political and has evolved in to a quest for ownership of land. The attacks are now escalating on a daily basis despite the efforts of the joint security task force popularly known as the STF and has forced state government to imposed a curfew in Riyom and Barkin Ladi local Council since innocent motorist passing within the warring communities are now targets in an attempt to figure out the cause of the attacks.
The leaders of the warring groups are not happy with the state government’s decision to impose a dusk to dawn curfew in these areas, seeing the development as not necessary.
The Plateau State Government through the Secretary to The State Government Hon.Rufus Bature announced the imposition of a dusk to dawn curfew in Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas of Plateau State to contain the prevailing security unrest, but the herdsmen within these areas especially Barkin Ladi keeps defying this order thus taking serious advantage of it to unleash terror on the peaceful and law abiding Beroms in Barkin Ladi.
At about 8:00PM of Monday the 17th of August 2015, Dagwott Istifanus was killed by Fulani herdsmen when he was about entering his next door neighbour’s room to charge his mobile phone because he had challenge with his power supply, unfortunately for him these herdsmen hid in a dark corner as a strategy to gain entrance into Dagwott’s neighbours’ compound to kill them, while he (Dagwott)was about entering his neighbours Compound, the herdsmen took advantage of his entrance, shot him to death at the neighbours door, and forcefully gained entrance into the neighbours house and severely injured Williams who is Dagwott’s neighbour while several members of that family were subjected to serious humiliation by this terrorist who came in their numbers.
Some of these Fulanis were identified to be residents of that same community who came in company of others not identified as at the time of the attack.
The Nigerian Police Barkin Ladi Divisional office was notified of this horrifying incident, they came and no action was taken to save the life of the severely injured Williams who was seriously bleeding as a result of the machete cuts by the herdsmen while Dagwott’s corpse was still lying unattended to.
The STF was also reached but it took them a couple of hours before locating the scene of this ugly incident.
It is terrific that this curfew is more harmful to the peaceful and law abiding Berom people in these ravaged areas, therefore the Government should swiftly review it to guarantee safety of the Berom.
