Armed hoodlums have attacked the house of a fulani herdsman in Ankpa, Kogi State, where they killed 28 cows and made away with seven others.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered in Lokoja that the armed hoodlums invaded the herdsman house located at Ogodo area of Ankpa on July 30 and Aug. 16 to carry out the dastardly act.

Narrating his ordeal, the herdsman, Malam Lawal Ahmadu, said that the youths, armed with guns, knives and other dangerous weapons, first invaded his house on July 30 and made away with nine big cows.

Ahmadu said that the hoodlums attacked his house again on Aug. 16 during which they stole 16 cows and inflicted gun injuries on seven others. He said that the attackers, who came in three tricycles on the two occasions, slaughtered the cows in his presence and carted the meat away with the tricycles.

According to him, two of the seven cows shot by the invaders on Aug. 16 died few days later, bringing the total number of cows killed to 27. Ahmadu said that the attackers left only five young cows for him, saying that the incidents were reported to the police, the community head, Kogi State Vigilante Service, the local government administrator and Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria.

He lamented that his means of livelihood had been abruptly taken away by the hoodlums and appealed to individuals and relevant government agencies to come to his aid.

When contacted, the State Secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Mr Abubakar Adamu, said that the matter had been taken up with the state government and the police.

Adamu said letters had been written to the state government on the need to fully compensate the herdsman in order to sustain the existing peace among different communities in the state. He urged the police to fish out the perpetrators so as to ensure justice and calm restiveness triggered by the incidents in fulani settlements across the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP William Aya, who confirmed the incidents, said that three suspects had been arrested in connection with the attacks. Aya said that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ayuba Ede, had ordered additional deployment of policemen to protect the area and forestall another attack on the herdsman by armed youths.

He appealed to Fulanis in the state not to retaliate, asking them to allow police to do their job.

The police spokesman promised to apprehend the perpetrators with a view to ensuring justice in the matter. (NAN)

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