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                                  ONE KILLED IN FRESH VIOLENCE IN PLATEAU

                One person was reported killed and unquantifiable amount of farm produce were destroyed in Jol village in Riyom local government area of Plateau state yesterday in a reprisal attack allegedly carried out by the Fulani herdsmen who lost livestock in the January crisis in Jos, the state capital and then spread to outlaying districts and local government areas.

The chairman of the local government council, Prince Simon Mwodkon confirmed the incident to newsmen shortly after visiting the affected area. However, his claim was immediately contradicted by Alhaji Sale Bayari, the national secretary of the Sultanate Committee on crises, that there were no Fulani herdsmen left in the area after they were driven out during the January crisis. "May be the Berom were fighting over the sharing of the meat of the cows they stole from fleeing Fulani and those they killed," he said.

According to Mwodkhon, leaders of the Fulani community have rejected all entreaties to attend a reconciliation meeting after the Jos crisis. "If you're aggrieved, you are supposed to come to a round-table discussion but if somebody refuses to do so then you know that definitely there is a skeleton in his cupboard. What has happened is unfortunate," he said.

Prince Mwodkon said it was obvious that the council lacked the capacity to handle the escalating situation and called on the Plateau state government to intervene in the matter..

The chairman appealed to the Fulani herdsmen in the area to bury the hatchet and attend a peace meeting slated for today.

Also speaking on the development, the chairman of Wereg Kerana Development Area, Mr Samuel Iliya, said the Fulanis said they wanted their stolen livestock back as a precondition for attending any peace meeting. "Since the Jos crisis, my people have been having sleepless nights. Last (Saturday) night we lost a young and promising boy", he said.

When contacted the Police Public Relations Officer of the Plateau State Command, Muhammed Lerama, said he was out of Jos and was not in the position to comment on the latest incident.

From Bayo Alabira, Jos
PEOPLE DAILY