Plateau Community Mourns Three Young Herders Slain in Mangu Attack

The Aloghom area of Mangu Local Government Area in Plateau State was plunged into sorrow following the burial of three teenage herders who lost their lives in a recent attack. The young victims, identified as 18-year-old Garzali Shaibu, 14-year-old Bashiru Yakubu, and 15-year-old Salim Abubakar, were reportedly killed on Saturday, September 12, while engaged in tending their cattle. The assailants also left a trail of destruction, with approximately 50 cattle reported to have been killed during the incident.

A funeral prayer for the deceased was conducted on Sunday at the Mangu Central Mosque, presided over by the Chief Imam, Jibrin Ahmad Dalhat. Following the prayers, the three teenagers were laid to rest at the Mangu Cemetery amidst a grieving community.

Reacting to the tragic event, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, who serves as the Plateau State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), strongly condemned the killings. He characterized the attack as entirely unprovoked. During the burial proceedings, Muhammad Salihu, the MACBAN Secretary for Mangu, urged the local youths to maintain calm and refrain from resorting to self-help.

Salihu voiced a plea to both the government and various security agencies, stating, “We are calling on the government and security agencies to look into the incessant killing of our members and destruction of our property.” He further asserted that herders in the vicinity had endured over eleven such attacks and implored authorities to guarantee the safety of all residents, irrespective of their ethnic or religious backgrounds.

Security personnel present at the burial also appealed to community members for calm, assuring them that investigations into the unfortunate attack are currently underway.