The Plateau State police command yesterday said the early morning attack on three villages in Jos South Local Government on Sunday was a reprisal by some Fulani people who lost their tribesmen and cattle in the January crisis.

Briefing newsmen on the incident yesterday in Jos, Police Public Relations Officer ASP Mohamed Lerama said the police in the course of investigation found out that the raid in which hundreds died was a fallout of the January crisis when hundreds of Fulanis and their cattle were killed in Tim Tim, Kuru Janta, Kuru, Vom and Ungwan Doki.

The police however put the number of those killed Sunday at 55, adding that about 93 people have been arrested in connection with the killings.

ASP Lerama explained that the arrest was in two categories with the first comprising of 19 Fulani persons who were arrested after the incident with daggers and knives at Angwari village in Jos East Local Government Area and upon interrogation said they were on revenge mission, while four Fulani people were shot dead at Barikin Ladi by the Joint Patrol Team. The second category he said, comprise of 74 persons who were arrested in Mangu Village with prohibited fire arms by the Joint Patrol Team after a hot exchange of fire between them and the security operatives, adding that the patrol team recovered 23 different types of guns and 39 9mm ammunition and live cartridges.

ASP Lerama explained that after the attack, the Police received a report that a group of Fulanis invaded Dogo Nahauwa and other surrounding villages like Zot and Ratsat , maiming and killing innocent people around 3am.

He said mobile police personnel were drafted to the area to maintain law and order around 4am, adding that on the spot interviews conducted by the police revealed that the villagers were attacked by their Fulani neighnours with whom they had been living peacefully for decades, adding, "To further substantiate this assertion, the killings and burning of houses were selective, a clear indication that attackers were from within, and all appeals and entreaties made to the Fulani before now for peace were turned down".

He said the village, Dogo Na Hauwa, is remote and on a very difficult terrain, but the police moved swiftly and information was circulated to all divisional police headquarters and dragnets were spread and two mentioned categories of arrest were made successfully. The police spokesman refuted the reports by Al Jazeera television that the attackers were from Bauchi State, adding that preliminary investigation conducted by the police showed that the attackers were from Fubur villages which even though share boundary with Bauchi State, cannot be said with certainty that the attackers came from Bauchi until investigation is concluded.