Tension as as 32 cows die from suspected poisoning in Plateau community

Security operatives under Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) have responded to a disturbing case involving the alleged poisoning of cows in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.

According to reports, 32 cows belonging to a local herder perished under unclear circumstances in an open field situated along the Zawura-Jebbu Miango route, a location nestled between Dutsen Kura and Jebbu Miango. The area has a history of tensions involving farmers and herders.

Samaila Nuhu, the herder affected by the incident, told Zagazola Makama, a publication that covers counter-insurgency efforts around the Lake Chad Basin, that his animals began to exhibit abnormal behavior after grazing in the field, leading him to suspect they had been poisoned.

Troops deployed to the scene following an emergency alert said the cattle had already been butchered by the herders, who were trying to salvage the meat before it spoiled.

While combing the surrounding area, the soldiers reportedly came across scattered tomatoes and garden eggs believed to have been laced with poison. No homes or settlements were located nearby.

This case mirrors an earlier occurrence on April 2 in Benue State, where Danladi Chiroma, chairman of the North-Central zone of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), said that 53 cows were killed during what he described as a retaliatory attack in the Agatu area.

Chiroma alleged that the violence may have been in response to the killing of five cattle breeders days earlier.