Thirteen members of the Kulben Community in Mangu LGA of Plateau State North Central Nigeria, who were killed allegedly by Fulani Muslim herdsmen on January 9 have been identified as Christians.
The Plateau State Police Command has said on Friday that gunmen, suspected to be herdsmen, killed 12 persons and injured one at Kulben village of Kombun District of Mangu Local Government Area.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, Terna Tyopev, a deputy superintendent of police, said the incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday.
“In the early hours of today, we received a distress call that gunmen, suspected to be herdsmen attacked Kulben community of Kombun District of Mangu.
“As a result, 12 persons lost their lives and one severely injured.
Morning Star News reports that the victims were all member of the members Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN).
The newspaper said the incident occurred on the same day four students were kidnapped from a Catholic seminary in Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria.
According to the publication, about 20 herdsmen attacked the predominantly Christian village at about 8 pm, killed the 13 and wounded three others.
“They were shooting with guns in all directions, forcing the villagers to scamper into surrounding bushes,” area resident Michael Mutding, 40, told Morning Star News in a text message.
“Corpses of those killed have been evacuated by soldiers and police to the mortuary of Mangu Cottage Hospital; and all the victims are members of COCIN.”
The members representing the area in the Plateau State House of Assembly, Bala Fwengje, said in a statement that the attacks came in spite of efforts by security agencies.
“This attack on my people by these herdsmen comes as a rude shock to us, as efforts have been made by security agencies to curtail such incessant attacks on our people,” Fwengje said. “It is a sad thing that these attacks are still being carried out by the herdsmen on our people without provocation.”
The state governor, Simon Lalong, said he would bring the perpetrators of the act to justice.
“We have toiled to ensure that peace returns to Plateau state, and we will not allow anyone to make nonsense of our efforts,” Lalong said. “We are determined to deal decisively and firmly with anybody found culpable in attacking or inciting people to carry out attacks against one another.”
Meanwhile, the newspaper quoted an official that four students were kidnapped from The Good Shepherd Catholic Major Seminary, Kakau village along the Kaduna-Abuja highway, on Wednesday night.
“Armed bandits” abducted the seminarians after the assailants shot sporadically at students, professors and staff members between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., Rev. Joel Usman, registrar of the institution, said.
“The Good Shepherd Major Seminary was attacked by armed bandits yesterday, Jan. 8, between 10:30-11 p.m.,” Usman said. “After a head count of students with security agents, four seminarians have been declared missing.”
Nigeria ranked 12th on Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution.