Herdsmen kill 32 in savage attacks

A savage attack allegedly carried out by herdsmen in communities in Dekina and Omala Local Government Areas of Kogi State has led to the death of 32 people.

According to a report by The Guardian, the attack happened on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, with the attackers arriving by boat before opening fire on residents and burning houses.

A source said the attackers numbered "about 500" and burnt down 20 houses while an eyewitness claimed they were dressed in military fatigue and wielded AK-47 assault rifles.

The state's Deputy Commissioner of Police, Monday Bala, confirmed the attack during a press conference on Thursday, March 15, and reported that police officers and other security operatives have been deployed to the area to restore order.

While many residents who fled for their lives remain unaccounted for, Bala declined to release casualty figures from the attack.

A resident believes that the attack might be a reprisal for a 2016 altercation that led to the death of four Fulani herdsmen.

Herdsmen crisis

Nigerians have been dealing with a spate of attacks carried out by suspected cattle herders with well over 200 victims dead since January 2018.

On the same day as the attacks in Kogi, the Nigerian Army confirmed that herdsmen killed two soldiers while responding to reports of a clash between at Rafiki Village in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State where 23 dead bodies were also found.

Seven suspects have already been arrested in connection with the clash as one AK-47 assault rifle with 26 rounds of 7.62mm special and one locally made single barrel loaded with 15 rounds recovered by troops.

Herdsmen have also struck more prominently in Benue and Taraba where hundreds have died in only three months as security operatives battle endlessly to put a stop to the crisis.