LAGOS
At least 260 people have been killed in the past six months in 160 incidents of communal violence across Nigeria's central Plateau State, the security special task force in the state said on Thursday.
"At least 260 people have been killed in 160 attacks, while 2,501 cows were rustled (stolen) in 42 raids by criminals," Ali Bello, an officer of the special task force, told Plateau Architecture, a dialogue forum meeting in Jos, the state's capital city.
“[Of the 2,501], 1,312 cows were recovered; over 88 arms were recovered and 2,734 ammunitions were also recovered," Bello said.
“The attacks were masterminded by activities of cow rustlers which was the major security challenges confronting the task force in the state," he said.
“Apart from the casualties, the task force has recorded some successes in our efforts to address the problems of cow rustling with the arrest of 15 armed dealers who provided arms that made cattle rustling easier in the state.”
The dialogue is a brainchild of the State Government's Office of the Special Adviser on Peace Building and Conflict and Search for Common Ground, an nonprofit body sponsored by the European Union.
It aims to solve a longstanding crisis in the Plateau State which dates back to 2001 between the so-called aborigines and the Hausa Fulani herdsmen who are deemed to be settlers over land ownership, grazing land and political appointments. Thousands have died in the violence, and a governor was once impeached on account of the crisis - and alleged corruption - in 2006.
Country Director of Search For Common Ground Chom Bagu told the gathering that "the peace building and dialogue process is not restricted to government and security agencies alone, as all stakeholders are required to join hands to chase conflicts out of Plateau state.”
By Rafiu Ajakaye
englishnews@aa.com.tr
