Miyetti Allah accuses STF of burning Fulani settlement in Plateau

Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Plateau State yesterday accused men of the Special Task Force (STF) of attacking and burning their settlement in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

State chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Haruna Boro Hussaini, who addressed newsmen alleged that members of the task force in charge of Barkin Ladi attacked their settlement at Tafawa, a village also known as Fas by the Beroms and burnt 16 houses.

Hussaini said: “Berom youths killed one of our members, Kabiru Yero, 31, who went to graze cattle on Tuesday at Rakum close to Kassa in Barkin Ladi, after which men of the STF later stormed our village in Tafawa, burnt our houses, levelled them to the ground and stole our sheep, goats and turkey.”

The state treasurer of MACBAN, Hussaini Sidi, who resides in Tafawa, also told Daily Trust that the STF commander in charge of Barkin Ladi, admitted to them that his men carried out the operation “based on orders he received from Abuja.”

Sidi said: “Even when our member was shot, we spoke with the Berom youth leaders and their councillor; we told them to control their boys to stop attacking us and they agreed. We told the Barkin Ladi commander of the STF to come and see the corpse of our member but he refused, instead, he and his men burnt down our village. He told us that he was responsible for it and that he was acting on orders from Abuja.”

When contacted, the STF Media and Information Officer, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, denied the allegations, saying no attack was launched on Fulani settlements. Captain Iweha said the STF commander, Major General David Eniete, has ordered the Barkin Ladi sector commander to intensify peace consultations between the Fulanis and Beroms.