A new killer group believed to have dislodged Boko Haram in their reign of terror has been identified. official Statistics from its unenviable rating have shown that killer herdsmen have dislodged Boko Haram terrorist group Nigeria’s deadliest killer group.
In fact, criminal herdsmen have been identified and account for the deaths of more civilians in the country in the last one year compared to those killed by suspected insurgents within the period, Sunday Sun reports.
According to a survey carried out by the newspaper, Boko Haram reportedly killed no fewer than 20,000 people in Nigeria and displaced 2.3 million from their homes particularly in the North east since 2009, the Islamic fundamentalist sect, according to Global Terrorism index in 2015 was rated world’s deadliest terror group and by inference Nigeria’s deadliest killer group, two years ago.
But checks have shown that killer herdsmen killed more Nigerians in the last 12 months than those killed by Boko Haram terrorists.
No fewer than 1,404 deaths related to the activities of herdsmen were recorded within the period under review while Boko Haram accounted for at least 418 deaths from 36 attacks within the period.
Killer herdsmen: A statistics of horror
The staggering casualty figure from the vicious activities of criminal cattlemen includes the victims of last December’s carnage in Southern Kaduna where it was reported that a total of 808 people were killed in several attacks across 53 communities; and victims of the repeated attacks on Agatu people in Benue state where no fewer than 300 people reportedly died in series of attacks allegedly perpetrated by suspected herdsmen between January and March, 2016.
Prior to the Christmas eve’s attacks on Southern Kaduna, the state had witnessed two previous similar attacks. The first was the August 3, 2016 violence in Godogodo Town, Jema’a Local Government Area where it was estimated that 11 people were killed while the second attack took place in Unguwan Anjo with three people reported dead.
Benue State accounts for eight of the reported 25 mindless attacks said to have been carried out by herdsmen across the country in the last one year.
Some of these attacks include the May 14, 2016 attack on Tarfi Village of Binnev Ward, Buruku LGA where 12 people were killed. A similar attack earlier in the month in Igbogon community of Tsaav ward in Ukum LGA claimed had 15 lives.
Two separates attacks on June 19 and 21 also left at least 75 people dead in several communities across Tombo, Logo and Ukum Local Government Areas of the state, while 17 people were killed in other attacks recorded in the state between July 7 and 25.
After the January 23, 2016 invasion that left no fewer than 30 people dead in Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State, the vicious activities of bandits suspected to be herdsmen were also recorded in the state six months later when the killers once again struck at Kodomum village on July 30, killing at least 30 people
In the South east, Enugu state felt the brutality of killer herdsmen more with at least four different attacks which claimed 44 lives.
Forty people were said to have been killed in Ukpabi, Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday, April 26, 2016 when the bandit herdsmen struck. An earlier attack on February 27, 2016 in the state had reportedly claimed two lives in Ajona-Ogbo town of Abbi Community of the same local government, same casualty figure recorded when criminal herders invaded Ndiagu Attakwu and Akegbe Ugwu communities of Nkanu West Local Government Area on August 24, 2016.
Two separate attacks by suspected cattlemen also reportedly claimed 15 lives in Niger State in the last three months. Nine people reportedly died when criminal herdsmen invaded Rafin Gona and Gbagyi Villages both in Bosso Local Government Area of the state on January 14, 2017. Cattle rustlers were however, blamed for the earlier attack which claimed six lives in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state on November 17, 2016.
There were similar orgies of violence allegedly perpetrated by herdsmen within the period under review in states like Ekiti where two people were killed in Ikole Local Government Area on May 21, 2016; Plateau State where three died on July 18, 2016; Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta where two people were shot at Ubulu-Unor community on 15th September, 2016 and Rivers State where 12 people were killed on March 25, 2016.
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