21 dead as herdsmen attack Mosque in Niger state

chika ebuzor

May 15, 2017 4:13 AM

The Niger state Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana also confirmed the deadly attack.

21 people have reportedly been killed following an attack by suspected herdsmen on a Mosque in Mokwa, Niger State on Saturday, May 14, 2017.

According to Vanguard, the Niger state Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana confirmed the attack.

Elkana explained that Saturday’s attack was a reprisal, following the killing of a herdsman by villagers.

He said “It is confirmed that the attack was a reprisal to an earlier killing of a herder by the villagers. The killing of a herder was managed, but it appears they were not satisfied and decided to retaliate.

“Twenty one people were killed, while eight people sustained various degrees of injuries during the attack.”

The state police spokesman also revealed that mobile policemen and personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) have been dispatched to the troubled area to maintain peace.

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According to reports, the herdsman was killed during an argument over payment for a piece of land.

The villagers accosted the cattle rearer to pay for the land which he leased, and the herdsman reportedly refused, saying the land belongs to him.

An eyewitness who spoke to Vanguard also said the herdsmen attacked the Mosque in the early hours of the morning when people were praying.

chika ebuzor