Gunmen suspected by residents to be Fulani militias have reportedly killed a 36-year-old farmer, Steven Bala, and injured a cleric, Pastor Apollos Charly, during a fresh attack on Lamor community in Pushit District, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday afternoon, also left a 57-year-old man, Danbaba Libet, missing, according to a community youth leader, Bulus Nehemiah, who confirmed the attack.
Nehemiah disclosed that the gunmen invaded a farm belonging to Pastor Charly and attacked workers on the property. He said Bala was killed during the assault, while the pastor sustained severe injuries but managed to escape from the attackers.
“During the attack which occurred on Pastor Apollos Charly’s farm, Steven Bala, aged 36, was killed by the Fulani militia. The pastor himself was injured while another man, Mr Danbaba Libet, aged 57, is still missing,” Nehemiah said.
The youth leader lamented that communities across Pushit District had experienced repeated attacks in recent weeks, allegedly carried out by armed Fulani men. He said the persistent violence had created fear among residents and prevented many farmers from accessing their farmlands during the harvest season.
“In the past few weeks, the Fulani gunmen have been terrorising our communities in Pushit, attacking and killing our people. They have prevented us from going to our farms, especially now that it is harvest season,” he added.
Another community leader, John Sabo, condemned the latest incident, describing it as unacceptable and calling on security agencies to take urgent measures to protect residents from further attacks.
“We condemn this senseless attack in the strongest terms. No community should be subjected to this kind of violence, and innocent people should not continue to lose their lives,” Sabo said.
He urged security agencies to investigate the incident, identify and apprehend those responsible, and ensure they face justice. He also called for an increased security presence in the affected communities to prevent further violence and restore residents’ confidence in their safety.
Efforts to obtain confirmation from the Plateau State Police Command spokesperson, SP Alfred Alabo, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to phone calls or text messages sent to him as of the time of filing this report.
The circumstances surrounding the attack, as well as the whereabouts of the missing man, remained unclear at the time of reporting.