VIOLENCE: Gunmen Storm Village, Kill 5, Burn Houses In Plateau State!

Police report that some 300 gunmen stormed a mostly Christian village in Plateau State on Sunday, killing 5 people and burning a lot of homes.

"Five people were killed and many houses were burnt,"said Plateau's police spokeswoman Felicia Anslem."About 300 attackers invaded the community early on Sunday,"she added.

The lingering mostly sectarian conflict has caused thousands of deaths.

Herdsmen from the Fulani-Hausa ethnic group, which is mostly Muslim, are considered responsible for numerous attacks on the primarily Christian Berom community.

The Berom are the state's indigenous people, which legally gives them enhanced rights, including better access to land, education and public offices.

Fulani leaders have for years claimed that the violence can only be tempered if state leaders, who are almost entirely Berom, agree to major political reforms.

However, it is not quite clear who carried out the latest attack. While Kuka is a mostly Christian village, some of the victims were reported to be Fulanis.

Resident Abdullahi Ragmin said "200 houses" were burnt, and described the victims as ranging from age 35 to 60, in an account confirmed by other witnesses.

Military spokesman in Plateau, Salisu Mustapha, confirmed the attack but said the gunmen had"been repelled and calm has returned to the community".

At the moment the ongoing peace process in Plateu cannot be described as a successful one, as the violence continues. Berom leaders have accused the military of supporting and at times cooperating with the Fulani, but such allegations have not been definitely proved.

Source: naij

via Gistactivist