Fresh Attack On Asso Leaves Man, Son, 2 Others Dead

A man simply identified as Augustine and his 15-year old son, with other two persons, were killed in an attack by suspected herdsmen on Asso in Kagoma Chiefdom of Jema’a Local Government Area, Kaduna State.

The attack, according to residents, took place on Thursday evening as the villagers were returning from their farming activities.

“The attackers came when the rain was falling in the evening. With no security operatives on sight, they sprayed bullets in various directions as fear-stricken villagers fled for safety. By the time the attackers were satisfied with the level of mayhem and retreated to their hideout located in the forest; four persons were killed during the attack. Augustine and his son were killed in Asso town, while the other two persons were killed on a bridge leading to Asso,” one of the residents told Forefront.

This is the fifth time the town would come under attack by suspected herdsmen in less than six months. The main cause of the recurring attacks, Forefront gathered, is hinged on constant destruction of cassava farmlands by grazing herds of cattle. In March 2017, an Asso farmer, Stephen James, was hacked down when he attempted to prevent herds of cattle from grazing on his cassava farmland. Two weeks later, two fishermen, who hailed from Aso, were murdered by men suspected to be herdsmen.

In a bid to restore normalcy to the besieged town, military men were deployed to keep peace in the area. With the assistance of the locals, according to a source, the youths led the military to the forest where they chased away the attackers from their hideout and allegedly killed some of them.

Days later, a member of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), who hails from the area, accused Asso natives of killing their members and vowed revenge.

“Since then, Asso town has never experienced peace as residents are edgy over fear of constant attacks,” a resident said.