…claims 25 persons murdered
By Tom Garba, Yola – A group under the auspices of Pene Da Bwatiye International Association on Tuesday alleged that Fulani Militias have rendered homeless over 2,500 of it’s people, even as it accused the herdsmen of brutal murder of 25 persons during an attack on the community of Kodumon Demsa Local Government of Adamawa state.
At a press briefing in Yola, the group indicted the the Adamawa State Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Ghazali of “been lackadaisical and displaying obdurate attitude to the ravaged community, taken no swift action to halt the attacks.”
The leader of the group, Prince Hezron Fada, who briefed journalists said the killers murdered in cold blood men and woman,youths and innocent children of Bwatiye Nationality.
“It is with a heavy heart we are drawing the attention to the massive destruction of the rural town of Kodomun in Demsa Local Government of Adamawa State and the brutal cold blooded murder of twenty five (25) persons comprising our revered elders, young and middle aged men, women and children.
“As we address you today, the entire population of about 2,500 inhabitants are now homeless and scattered in towns and villages as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). “He Said
According to him, from January to July this year, similar mass killings took place in the Bwatiye villages of Koh, Goron, Ndikajam, Tabongo, No-Ine Fawaire and Jimoh in Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State where seventy two (72) deaths were recorded including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Vunoklang, a suburb of the Jimeta metropolis.
“These killings were perpetrated by suspected Fulani Herdsmen and their hired mercenaries. Upto this time, no one, to the best of our knowledge has been questioned or sanctioned by the authorities over the incidence and no compensation to the victims.
He continued to say that :“As painful as the destruction and looting of property and the brutal killings of our defenceless people and the removal of some vital parts of their bodies for ritual purposes have been, we have managed with difficulty, to implore our communities to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.
“While we continue to look up to the State Government for justice and protection, unfortunately, government failed in this regard.
“We find this failure of government unacceptable, as it is equally becoming more challenging to restrain our people from rising up to their own self defence by every possible means against armed Fulani herdsmen that are using assault riffles and hard core military weapons, as didi in Koh, Ndikajam, No-Ine, Tabongo Goron, Fawaire and Jimoh in Girei Local Government Area.”
He added “The impunity of these invaders will not stop unless the government ceases to treat them with kid gloves. We are gratified that the president of the Federal republic of Nigeria, President Muhamamdu Buhari has at last directed the security agents to disarm them.
“However, we wait to see what will happen, for with the likes of commissioner of Police of Adamawa State as law enforcement officers, we will be faced with either in action or complicity.
“You will recall that this Commissioner of Police on Tuesday 2nd August, 2016 said no life was lost in the invasion on Kodomun and that he did not allow his men to intervene in the attack because according to the Commissioner of Police, this was a Communal clash and to do so, would appear to be taking sides.
“We feel that this man is not fit for Command. He should be removed immediately by the Inspector General of Police.”
