About four people were said to have been killed in Kupa Abugi community in Lokoja local government of Kogi State following an attack by Fulani herdsmen at the weekend.
Confirming the incident, the Kogi State Command Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), said the incident bordered on the lingering crisis between the original inhabitants and Fulani herders in the area.
The police spokesman said herdsmen allegedly destroyed crops belonging to farmers in the community while grazing with their cattle which caused some skirmishes.
He said after the skirmishes, the Fulani claimed to have lost a cow, adding that in order to prevent further hostility in the area, the then local government chairman before their removal paid for the cow. “But despite that, the herdsmen a few days back raided the village again killing four persons and burning down houses and destroying property.”
The PPRO said there were casualties during the attack but could not ascertain the exact figures, adding that security men have been drafted to the area and that normalcy has since returned, adding that the command is holding a peace meeting with aggrieved parties to find an amicable resolution to the crisis.
It was gathered that the community and the herders have been at loggerheads with each other over the killing of a youth who was sent on an errand in November last year by Fulani herdsmen in the area.
Our reporter also learnt that the youths in the area, angered by the killing, went to attack a Fulani settlement leading to the death of one person.
After the incident, the leader of the Fulani herdsmen convened a peace meeting with the traditional ruler of the community where they agreed to sheathe swords and allow peace to reign. The source said that despite the peace meeting, in late November, the herdsmen carried out a reprisal attack, killing five people, burning many houses and destroying property worth millions of naira.
As a result of the development, the Kogi state government set up a committee to look into the remote causes of the crisis and make recommendations but the committee is yet to complete the assignment before the recent attack.
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