Police report 27 herdsmen killed in the airstrike in Nasarawa.

The Nasarawa State Police Command has confirmed the alleged murder of 27 herdsmen in a “airstrike” in the state’s Doma Local Government Area.

The News Agency of Nigeria received confirmation of the development and casualty counts from DSP Ramhan Nansel, the Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), on Thursday in Lafia.

According to Nansel’s preliminary investigation, the pastoralists traveled to Benue on Tuesday to pay fines for the release of animals that had been seized by the Benue Livestock Guards as part of their enforcement of the state’s anti-open grazing and ranching law.

He said, “While they were loading some of the cows into vehicles on Tuesday night in Kwatiri village, a border community between Benue and Nasarawa, something like a drone or an aircraft hovered in the air and shelled them.”

Nansel said that the state’s deputy governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, the commissioner of police, Maiyaki Mohammed-Baba, had visited the location of the tragedy and also attended the funeral of the deceased.

He added that the command had sent cops to the area to prevent the collapse of law and order and that the inquiry was still ongoing to identify those responsible.

Since then, Governor Abdullahi Sule has denounced the heinous conduct and stated that he is in contact with his Benue counterpart about the incident as the security services continue their investigations.

He exhorted the populace to maintain their composure and refrain from enforcing laws without authority.

In addition to denouncing the alleged death, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) demanded a thorough inquiry to identify those responsible.

The National Public Relations Officer for MACBAN, Muhammad Nura, provided a statement to NAN that read, “This is the third time we are experiencing such incidents.”

In addition to the casualties, he said that livestocks were also slain in the attack.

“MACBAN describes the action as not only condemnable but a war crime under the Geneva Convention that prohibits the wanton killing of livestock.

“We call on the authorities to investigate this terror, punish the culprits and be sure that incidents like this will not happen again,” the Nura said.