Gunmen kill farmer, injure pastor in Plateau community

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani militias on Wednesday afternoon killed a 36-year-old farmer identified as Steven Bala, and also injured a cleric, Pastor Apollos Charly, in a fresh attack on Lamor community, Pushit District of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.

A community youth leader, Bulus Nehemiah, who confirmed the incident, said a 57-year-old man, Danbaba Libet, was also missing following the attack.

Bulus said the gunmen who were identified as Fulani terrorists invaded a farm owned by the pastor and attacked the workers, leading to the killing of Bala while Charly managed to escape with severe injuries inflicted on him by the attackers.

“During the attack which occurred on Pastor Apollos Charly’s farm, Steven Bala, aged 36, was killed by the Fulani militia. The pastor himself was injured while another man, Mr Danbaba Libet, aged 57, is still missing,” Bulus said.

“In the past few weeks, the Fulani gunmen have been terrorising our communities in Pushit, attacking and killing our people. They have prevented us from going to our farms especially now the it is harvest season,” he added.

Another community leader, John Sabo, who condemned the attack, described it as unacceptable and called on security operatives to intensify efforts to protect residents and prevent further bloodshed.

“We condemn this senseless attack in the strongest terms. No community should be subjected to this kind of violence, and innocent people should not continue to lose their lives.

“We appeal to the relevant security agencies to investigate the incident, track down those responsible and bring them to justice.

“We also urge security operatives to strengthen their presence in the area to prevent further attacks and reassure residents of their safety,” Sabo said.

Efforts to get a confirmation from the state Police spokesman, SP Alfred Alabo, were unsuccessful as he neither responded to calls nor replied to text messages sent to his phone.