Three teenage herders killed in an attack in the Aloghom area of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State have been buried amid mourning in Mangu. The victims were identified as Garzali Shaibu, 18; Bashiru Yakubu, 14; and Salim Abubakar, 15.
They were reportedly killed on Saturday, September 12, while tending their cattle. About 50 cattle were also said to have been killed during the attack. Funeral prayers for the victims were held at Mangu Central Mosque on Sunday and led by the Chief Imam, Jibrin Ahmad Dalhat.
The three victims were subsequently buried at Mangu Cemetery. The Plateau State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, condemned the killings and described the attack as unprovoked.
Speaking during the burial, MACBAN Secretary in Mangu, Muhammad Salihu, appealed to youths in the community to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands. “We are calling on the government and security agencies to look into the incessant killing of our members and destruction of our property,” Salihu said.
He claimed that herders in the area had suffered more than 11 attacks and appealed to the government and security agencies to ensure the safety of all residents, irrespective of their ethnic or religious backgrounds. Security personnel present at the burial also urged members of the community to remain calm, saying investigations into the attack were ongoing.
