A routine day at the farm turned into a tragedy for Yakubu Bitrus, a local farmer in the Agingi community of Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau State, who had his hand severed by a group of Fulani herdsmen after he was unable to immediately assist them in lifting a fallen cow.

The violent assault, which left Bitrus hospitalized, was recounted by the victim in a video clip shared widely on social media platforms.

According to Bitrus, the incident began while he was working on his farm alongside two women. During a meal break, a young herder approached the group, stating that one of his cows had fallen into a ditch and gotten stuck. He demanded their immediate help to pull the animal out.

Bitrus explained that he was the only man present and could not abandon the two women alone on the farm. He advised the herder to gather a larger group of farmers from nearby plots so they could collectively rescue the animal.

"The Fulani herder rejected my suggestion and insisted that the three of us should follow him immediately," Bitrus stated from his hospital bed. "He feared that the animal might die and warned me that if the cow dies, there would be a problem."

The herder then grew hostile, launching verbal insults before chasing Bitrus with a stick and a cutlass. Spotting another individual hiding nearby, Bitrus and the women fled the scene to avoid an escalation.

Hoping to defuse the tension, Bitrus later returned to the spot with a larger group of community members to assist with the cow. However, both the herders and the animal were gone.

The herders, it turned out, had allegedly concealed themselves nearby to track Bitrus`s movements. Later in the evening, as Bitrus, his wife, and another woman were walking home, the herders launched an ambush.

When Bitrus`s wife stepped off the main path to gather firewood, she was suddenly attacked and struck on the head. Hearing her screams, Bitrus rushed to her defense, using a piece of wood to fight off the assailants.

During the struggle, additional herders emerged from the surrounding bush to overwhelm the farmer. One of the attackers drew a machete and completely severed Bitrus`s hand before the group fled into the forest.

The local community has expressed deep outrage over the brutal attack, calling on Plateau State security agencies to swiftly apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.