Five herders were injured on Sunday evening after gunmen opened fire on them at a Conoil filling station along the Bukuru Expressway in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) confirmed the incident, saying the victims were members of the association.
The Plateau State Chairman of MACBAN, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, said the herders were travelling in a J5 open-body vehicle when they were attacked. According to him, the vehicle was carrying eight herders, five of whom sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to hospital for treatment.
Also speaking, the Deputy Chairman of Kara Market, Dauda Adam Ciroma, described the attack as deadly, noting that personnel of the Police B Division arrived promptly at the scene.
Ciroma said police officers assisted in evacuating the victims to the hospital, adding that some of the injured suffered fractures in addition to bullet wounds.
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In a statement issued on Monday, Babayo explained that the incident occurred as the herders were returning from Kara Market, a cattle market in Bukuru.
He said three gunmen riding on a motorcycle, who had been trailing the victims, stormed the filling station and opened fire before fleeing the scene.
Babayo added that the victims were initially taken to the Jos University Teaching Hospital but were later moved to The Potters Specialist Hospital, Jos, due to the ongoing strike at the government hospital.
Describing the attack as unprovoked, Babayo said the herders had only stopped at the filling station to buy fuel when they were attacked.
“This attack is unprovoked because the herders were just buying fuel. The gunmen specifically targeted them, and this has become a dangerous trend threatening the existence of Fulani herders in the state,” he said.
He said the association had called on its members to remain calm, noting that the attacks appeared to be aimed at provoking them.
Babayo urged security agencies to investigate the incident and arrest the perpetrators, lamenting that herders no longer feel safe in communities, grazing fields, markets, and other public places.
Efforts to obtain reactions from the spokespersons of Operation Enduring Peace and the Plateau State Police Command, Major Samson Zhakom and SP Alabo Alfred respectively, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.