Fulani herdsmen attack seminary in Jalingo, shoot priest

Early this morning, Fulani herdsmen attacked Sacred Heart Minor seminary in Jalingo in Taraba state and shot a priest in his leg.

The herdsmen stormed the school at 1.00a.m. this morning in search of Rev. Fr. Cornelius Koba who they claimed was preventing their cattle from grazing in the school's premises.

When they got him, one of the herdsmen attempted to shoot him in the head but was prevented by his colleague who did not want any person to be killed. However after warning him to stop preventing them from allowing their cattle graze in the school's compound, one of the herdsmen shot the Reverend Father in the leg as they were leaving the school.

According to the Reverend Father, "they came around 1.00a.m. and got a student whom they ordered to take them to my room. I came out and met them all armed numbering over five. As soon as I came out, one of them said "see him, kill him", but one of them objected."

"They struck me with their sticks and when I fell down, one of them shot me int he leg and they left. They also shot and blew the windscreen of my car. One of them opened fire at my window and destroyed my television set and other properties."

"My offence is that I often ask them to stop invading our school for grazing and stop cutting down our trees to feed their cows."

The Bishop of the Catholic Diosece of Jalingo, The Most Rev. Dr. Charles Hammawa, has condemned the attack and ordered the temporary closure of the school.

According to him, "We thank God no life was lost in the incident, though my priest Rev. Fr. Cornelius Koba was shot in the leg. This is one attack too many. Fr. Koba had only told the Fulani herdsmen to stop grazing on the school premises and they came after him in the dead of the night.

The Police in the state has not made any official statement yet.

This incident is happening less than a week after the burial of two priests and seventeen parishioners killed by herdsmen