A farmer, Yakubu Bitrus, has allegedly lost one of his hands after he was attacked by suspected herders in Agingi community, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Bitrus said the attackers descended on him after he initially declined to help them rescue a cow that had fallen into a ditch, with the confrontation later escalating into a physical attack.
The farmer recounted the incident in a video while receiving treatment at a hospital after the attack, which he said occurred on Friday as he and two women were returning from their farms in the community.
According to him, a young herder had earlier approached him during a meal break at the farm, asking for assistance to lift the trapped animal.
Bitrus said he explained that he was the only man among the group and could not leave the two women alone, advising the herder to seek help from other farmers nearby.
He alleged that the herder rejected the suggestion, became hostile and threatened that there would be trouble if the cow died before chasing him with a stick and cutlass.
The farmer said he later returned with other people to assist with the rescue but found neither the herders nor the cow at the location. He alleged that the herders had concealed themselves and waited for him to leave.
Bitrus said the attackers eventually ambushed him while he was heading home. He added that when his wife, who had briefly moved away to gather firewood, screamed after being attacked, he rushed to her aid.
He said he confronted the assailants with a piece of wood in an attempt to protect his wife, but the situation worsened when more herders emerged from the bush and joined the attack.
According to him, the attackers beat him before one of them allegedly used a machete to sever his hand, after which they fled into the bush.
The farmer’s account was contained in a video circulated on social media, while the circumstances surrounding the alleged attack and the identities of those responsible were not independently established in the report.
