Many feared killed as suspected herdsmen attack Adamawa, Taraba communities

Many persons were feared killed following a deadly attack by suspected herdsmen on five communities in Numan and Demsa Local Government Areas of Adamawa State.

The attackers also invaded Lau Local Government Area of neighbouring Taraba State destroying properties.

Residents said their communities were invaded by the gunmen on motorcycles, shooting sporadically into the air.

The member representing Numan in the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Sodom Tayedi confirmed that the attack started from 4:00 p.m. on Sunday and lasted late into the night.

Tayedi said most people were caught unawares being a market day in one of the communities.

Sunday's attack is the latest and the third in two weeks and some days, in the series of suspected herdsmen invasion on communities in Adamawa.

On June 22, at least 18 people were reported killed and several others injured when Dowayan village in Demsa LGA came under an attack.

The villagers had told Channels Television crew after the attack that the assailants struck around 8:00 pm, razing several houses with many properties destroyed.

A week and some days later, on Wednesday last week, no fewer than five persons were killed in a fresh attack on Mararaban Kola community in Guyuk LGA.

The police authorities in the state said four men and a woman were killed with a couple seriously injured, while the attackers also razed seven houses.

The herdsmen-farmers crisis has claimed hundreds of lives since the beginning of the year while President Muhammadu Buhari's administration has come under heavy criticism for allegedly  tackling the issue with kid's gloves .

But the Presidency, in a statement on Sunday, assured Nigerians that the crisis would soon be a thing of the past and accused some politicians of fueling the killings.

“As President Buhari indicated lately, there is evidence of involvement of some politicians using criminals to perpetuate the killings,” said the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu.