A group of Fulani militants numbering hundreds overran the villages of Koh, Ndikajam, Tabongo and Jat of Girei Local government Area ...
A group of Fulani militants numbering hundreds overran the
villages of Koh, Ndikajam, Tabongo and Jat of Girei Local government
Area of Adamawa state.
The attacks were reported to have killed over 30 people
including a Divisional Police Officer(DPO) incharge of Vunokilang Police
Station in Girei Local Government Area Adamawa state.
Confirming the killings, spokesman of the State Police Command, DSP
Othman Abubakar said
the DPO and his team were attacked while on
official duty in the affected villages where he was killed by suspected
Fulani herdsmen.
Abubakar added that report at his disposal indicated that the
attackers looted the food stuff and livestocks of the
villagers before setting the villages ablaze.
“The suspected Fulani attackers raided four villages in Girei local
Government area on Sunday morning around 5:30 am killing scores
including the late DPO”. Abubakar said
The DPO, late CSP Okozie Okereofor, who was just two months old in
the command was said to be ambushed when he was leading his men to the
disputed area and he eventually lost his life in a shoot-out with the
attackers.
The corpse of the slain Police Officer and remaining civilians have been deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Yola.
According to reports, prior the attack, there has been a lingering crisis
between some Fulani Herdsmen and farmers in the areas which are believed to have influenced the attack.
According to reports, there has been a lingering threats on the communities razed
down by Herdsmen who were alleged to have written letters to these communities
that they were going to launch an attack on them.
However the elders of the areas are said to have reported the matter
to the security agencies in the state about two weeks ago so that
something would be done to avert the attack.
One of the Elders of the affected areas , PP Elisha, said if the
security agencies had acted swiftly as earlier alerted by the elders
that there may be an attack, they could have stop the attack.
However, he said they thank God that the military have sent their men
to chase out the Herdsmen’s machineries adding that several people have
been killed while five villages were burnt down by the Herdsmen.
Elisha who visited some injured victims of the attack, who were
immediately evacuated to Specialist Hospital and Federal Medical Centre
in Yola, lamented that presently there is serious
pandemonium in the affected areas adding that many people in the
affected areas including areas that were not attacked have fled their
homes for fear of future attacks.
However an eyewitness account suggests that it was
Boko Haram insurgents that attacked the five villages at 7:30 am of
Sunday (today) morning due to the nature of the attack which he alleged
were similar to Boko Haram mode of operations or attacks.
The eyewitness claimed that many people were killed and injured in
the attack although he could not give the exact figure of casualty.
The eyewitness also alleged that the attackers have kidnapped the DPO
of Vinikilang adding that a Hilux van filled with cattles and food items
belonging to the attackers was captured by the natives of the area.
While another eyewitness who simply identified himself as Haruna said
he can swear with his life that the attackers were members of Boko
Haram adding that he was sure that the Herdsmen may have drafted the
members of Boko Haram to help them to fight the natives of the affected communities.
“l narrowly escape from the hands of the attackers” he said
When asked whether the attackers were herdsmen or Boko Haram, he said
“we have been living together with these Fulanis, and we know them but
the people that attacked us were strangers, I believed that the
Fulanies in our area drafted some strangers which we believe are members
of Boko Haram because we have been having unresolved problems with them
which had led to the death of some people in the past."
The Acting Brigade commander of the 23 Amoured Brigade in Yola, Col
ABA Popoola confirmed the attack that resulted to the killing of several
people and razing down of five villages.
He said everything was under control as he has deployed his men to areas to cordon the area.
Popoola said the fight was between the herdsmen and farmers in the
affected areas but did not reveal whether some of his men were
wounded.
Checks revealed that the attackers have been repelled by the military
and most of them have escaped into near by bush some kilometers to
Sambisa forest.
