Cattle rustlers have allegedly unleashed mayhem in Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
As a result of the early morning attack, 73 cows were killed while 18 other cows were injured in Yamadaga village, Kadarko community of the Nasarawa LGA.
The cattle rustlers infiltrated Kadarko community at about 4:00 am on Sunday, shooting sporadically in the air.
The victims of the attack, supposedly comprising mostly of herdsmen, alleged that the perpetrators were Tiv farmers, adding that it was a revenge attack.
Meanwhile, it was reported that the assailants kidnapped two persons, chasing other cows into the bush in the process.
One of the cow owners, Ahmed Abdullahi said the rustlers struck, when the villagers were asleep.
“I was sleeping and then I heard bullet sound everywhere, I didn’t see anybody but they killed my 73 cows, some of them were dispersed into the bush and I haven’t seen two of my children,” he said.
A chief in the village, Ardo of Yamadaga, Husseini Adamu, revealed that the attackers were about 1,000 in number, and they struck with various dangerous weapons.
“In the morning around 6:00 am, our children saw some Tiv people numbering up to 1,000 holding sophisticated weapons. They killed some cattle, went away with many.
“They even took motorcycles. Before I came, the place was already in chaos and we realised that at a spot they have killed 73 cows excluding the ones that they carted away with and also they went with two of our children,” he said.
Confirming the attack, the Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Bello, told Channels Television that investigations are ongoing to uncover the identity of the attackers.