By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Isaac Akinmoyede, has confirmed the killing of Fulani’s cows by unknown persons at Kwal, in Bassa Local Government Area, a streamside community in the state.
The Police boss, who gave a return call to the The DEFENDER at about 11.00 Sunday night, however did not mention the number of cows killed, rustled or injured.
We reported on Sunday that Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Malam Nura Abdullahi, claimed that 81 cows belonging to his members were killed while 32 others were rustled and 48 injured totaling 161 cows affected. He added that those injured were quickly slaughtered to avoid them being wasted.
Cow is a major economic base for Fulani people and attack on the base is believed to be attempt at plunging a whole ethnic community into living crisis.
Abdullahi said in a statement, made available to newsmen, that MACBAN had officially informed the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Isaac Akinmoyede, as well as the Operation Safe (OPSH) second 6 command.
Whereas the military authorities confirmed the killings, calls to the state police spokesman was not returned necessitating direct call to the Commissioner of Police.
In his return call, CP Akinmoyede confirmed the incident actually happened that said the culprits yet unknown. He however promised to get at them saying all efforts were underway to ensure their arrest.
“The people who killed those cows we have not gotten them. You know it is a vast land. It is not close to the community. It is very close to what you can call a stream that was where they killed the cows but we don’t know who did it.
“Officially they (MACBAN) have reported it and we are doing everything to arrest the people that are involved. Now, nobody has been arrested. And we are also calling on the people, especially those that are living in that area, to help us in pointing to people that are responsible.
“This is because it is always good for justice to prevail. When there is justice, definitely there will be peace. Whatever is it that would make some people kill cows which belong to some other people and we do not prosecute the culprits, the cows’ owners next time would lose confidence and say, after all there will be no justice. That is why, if I get those that perpetrated that act, I am going to prosecute them.
“We have to put our fingers on the ground to stop things that can lead to violence in one way or the other. And the best way to do it is for us to be able to get the people that did that act, arrest and prosecute them. That is going on.
“And it is the reason we are appealing to the community to fish out those people they know are involved. If they are not in that community, any other public spirited person that knows about the killings should let us know,” the Commissioner of Police Akinmoyede told The DEFENDER on the telephone Sunday night.
In the meantime, acting on the guidance of the Commissioner of Police, MACBAN has documented the economic crime against it with the DPO in charge of district covering the scene of crime.
It said the area commander and the DPO had, following the documented report, visited the scene and seen the evidence for them.
According to the Media and Information Officer of the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Major Adam Umar, who had earlier confirmed the killing of the cows, the incident occurred around the dam opposite the College of Accountancy in Kwal when the cows were grazing.
Major Umar, who however could not give the actual figures of cows killed and those rustled, assured that the Task force was doing everything possible to trail the assailants.
