Many residents have been reportedly killed and over 100 houses burnt in a crisis that ensued between herders and farmers in Mai Tumbi community of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Sources confirmed that the violence started on Friday and is still raging up till Monday morning.
A resident, Ibrahim Musa, said: “The crisis is still ongoing. Hundreds of people are fleeing the village. I cannot give you the exact number of people killed but many were killed. More than a hundred houses were burnt.”
Spokesperson for the Plateau State Police Command, DSP Alabo Alfred, who confirmed the incident, said however that operatives of the Nigeria Police and troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), a multi-security Task Force maintaining peace in the State, have been deployed to restore law and order in the area.
According to Alfred, “I don’t want to give you conflicting figures. Security personnel have been deployed to ensure normalcy in the area.”
Director General of Plateau State Peace Building Agency (PPBA), Joseph Lengmang, condemned the ongoing violence.
Lengmang said: “We are deeply saddened by the ugly turn of events in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State where disturbing reports indicate a deteriorating security situation in some parts of the locality that has led to the death of scores of precious human lives and property destroyed.”