About 350 Fulani herders, said to be terrorised by gunmen attacks in Munya Local Government Area of Niger state, are now taking refuge in Sabo Wuse town along the Abuja – Kaduna highway in the state.
The internally displaced persons, mostly women, children, and few men, were seen during a visit on Sunday, camping on an open field just behind a police outpost at the toll gate, located on the outskirts of the town, our reporter observed.
Some of the people, who spoke to Daily Trust, said they decided to flee Kuchi community in Munya LGA, where some of them had spent about 30 years, following series of suspected gunmen attacks.
According to them, the gunmen have killed and abducted many among their members.
Muhammed Lawan, one of the affected persons, said on their way to the area last Wednesday, one of the females in their entourage gave birth to a baby inside one of the four trailer trucks that conveyed them. He said another woman also gave birth right at the open camp, on arrival.
Also speaking, Abdullahi Alhaji Kichi, one of the elderly persons among the refugees, said they left behind about 1,000 cattle with the young males in the community, who, they said, have headed to different places.
He lamented that they were denied access to camp in another area under Kagarko LGA of Kaduna state where they first made a stop, just as they have been directed by the police, to vacate the present location, who were sighted monitoring them.
He said that another problem they encountered was the demand for N500,000 by some people who claimed to be local leaders of Miyetti Allah in Sabo Wuse, in order to assist them with a shelter where they can spend one month, as he alleged.
“So, as a result, we are now planning to head to another area in Lafia, Nasarawa state, where we have some relatives,” said the leader of the entourage.
