Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State has become the latest area to be under attack by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen when no fewer than three people and 12 houses were burnt down yesterday.
This came just as the special task force deployed to restore law and order in the state said it arrested a man in possession of 56 bags of substance suspected to be Indian hemp.
According to a source close to the local government, the gunmen invaded both Gwankogi and Bankinrijiya villages in the early hours of Friday and attacked the residents of the villages, killing three people had been killed and completely burning 12 houses before they could repel the attack.
When contacted, the spokesman for the Special Task Force, Captain Salisu Mustapha, said he was yet to be notified of the attack.
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have been fingered behind attacks across the rural parts of Central Nigeria, such as Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Nassarawa, and prior to this, in Niger State for the first time this week.
Meanwhile, Mustapha said the special task force had arrested a man with 56 bags of substances suspected to be Indian hemp.
Parading the suspect, the STF spokesman said the command received information at about 10:00 a.m. on Thursday that some vehicles loaded with substances suspected to be Indian hemp left Mr Ali area of Bassa Local Government and were moving through Akass Village to Rukuba Road.
According to him, a check point was quickly set up and on sighting men of the STF, the drivers of the vehicles changed their route and entered the bush. He said his men pursued them and the suspects abandoned their vehicles and fled.
However, a driver of one of the vehicles, Godwin Amechi, was arrested, and after interrogation, he claimed that he and three other drivers were invited by one Mr Jerry to carry the bags from Mr Ali to Rukuba Road, at the rate of N1000.
Other items recovered from the suspect include a dark green Volkswagen Jetta with registration number AM 662 BUU, a black Volkswagen Golf 3 with registration number AM DD7 BDA and an ash coloured Vector with registration number BLD 85 AA.