Herdsmen behead man, kill school bus driver

The Guardian reports that the herdsmen left palpable fear in Igarra and its environs in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State after shooting the school bus driver dead on Saturday, January 27, 2018 on the Igarra-Auchi road.It was further reported that the killing of the driver came a day after a farmer was robbed by suspected herdsmen on the Igarra-Okpe road before escaping into the bush.

In the similar development, an old man was reportedly beheaded by suspected herdsmen in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday, January 28, 2019.

The sad incident occurred at Kpara village in Jebbu-Bassa town of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.

It was also reported that the Plateau State police command confirmed the killing through the command’s spokesman, Assistant Superintendent Mathias Terna Tyopev.

Narrating the sad occurrence as well as illegal activities of the herdsmen in the village, the National President of Irigwe Development Association (IDA), Sunday Abdu, said the Fulani herdsmen arrived the community at night and beheaded the old man.

“They put their cattle on the farms to eat and destroy all the crops without any left. They are armed to the teeth and were herding their cows with unabashed recklessness,” he said.

Abdu also said that before the villagers could alert the police post in the community, the herdsmen had left the farms, entered the community, beheaded the man and took to their heels.

The former lawmaker also claimed that no fewer than 25 people had been massacred in Irigwe land in the past one week.

9 herdsmen arrested in Edo

Nine herdsmen were on Sunday, January 28, 2018, arrested in combined efforts of vigilance group and youths in Okpe, Edo state.

Assorted weapons were found on the arrested herdsmen, who were travelling in a Volkswagen vehicle marked Kaduna MKA 555YJ along the Igarra-Okpe road around 7:00a.m. when they were apprehended.

Following the arrest, some angry youths had besieged the police station in Igarra to demand the herdsmen and served jungle justice.

The youths had reportedly complained of police’s reluctance to spring to action when alerted of the presence of the killer herdsmen and the killing of the driver.

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Speaking, the Palace Secretary of Igarra, Elder Folorunsho Dania, said: “Today is Igarra market day, but many people did not go to the market for fear of attacks. Even churches closed early because of this. We are now living in fear, just few days ago, they chopped off the hand of a farmer in Ojah.

“Few days later, they attacked a cattle farmer, Hassan, cutting him severally in the head, the man died two days ago. Last week, they kidnapped three people from the mining site near Igarra and up till now, their whereabouts are still unknown. We are appealing to the government and security agencies to come to our rescue.”

Fulani herdsmen say nobody can stop them from grazing

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has said that nobody has the right to stop them from grazing openly.

According to Daily Post, the group said that open grazing is their tradition.

They also said that they will challenge the anti-grazing laws put in place by some state governments.