Police Nab Herdsman with AK47 Rifle in Enugu

Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu
A 20-year-old suspected Fulani herdsman, Ibrahim Adamumale, from Nasarawa State was on Tuesday nabbed by operatives of the Enugu State Police Command allegedly in possession of Ak 47 riffle with 24 rounds of live ammunition.

The arrest of the suspect came three days after the command equally arrested another 20-year-old Umaru Isah from Gusau, Zamfara State, suspected to be one of the herdsmen that attacked and killed a Catholic Seminarian, Lazarus Nwafor and injured four others including a pregnant woman at the Ndiagu Attakwu-Akagbeugwu community in Nkanu West local government area of the state in the early hours of Thursday last week.

Also, major stakeholders in Nkanu West council including former Governor Chimaraoke Nnamani, who was represented, a member of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ujam, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, serving and former council chairmen as well as heads of parastatals and special sides to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi have convened an emergency security meeting with a view to map out strategies to ward off future attacks. They condemned the ‘dastardly act’ by the herders in the area last week in strong terms.

The stakeholders who attended the meeting convened by the council chairman, Afam Okereke aimed at initiating actions that would help forestall future attacks by the herdsmen decried the “unprovoked attack” by the suspected herdsmen, while asking the federal government to fashion out strategies that would effectively put the herdsmen in check across the country.

They spoke as the Councillors’ Forum, an association of former and current councillors in the state called for an immediate ban on grazing in the state.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after their visit of the community, leader of the Councillors Forum, Hon. Chidiebere Okoh noted that the situation has become so serious that it should no longer be treated with kid gloves.

“Just as we condemn the act, we cannot continue to fold our arms not knowing what tomorrow has in stock. This is getting out of hand and it is time to act. We have, thus, decided as a body, to call for an immediate ban on any form of grazing across the length and breadth of Enugu State.” Okoh said.

He called on the state House of Assembly to urgently make a legislation outlawing grazing in Enugu State “be it by Fulani people or any other person for that matter.”
On their part, the police command in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, said Adamumale was arrested in Affa Udi Local Government Area of the state on Monday evening. Upon interrogation, he claimed to be from Nassarawa State but lives at Hausa quarters 9th Mile.

“He claimed to be a herdsman with some cows at Affa Udi bush. He was nabbed on by the combine efforts of the police and the members of the public from Affa acting on a tip off. It was further gathered that suspect before he was nabbed had expended about six shots on the air to evade being nabbed but failed to the superior effort of the police and members of the public who have gathered information about suspect’s antecedents in relation to bearing of sophisticated weapon within Affa axis and its environs.

“Suspect is now helping the police in their investigations in relation to how he came about the riffle,” Amaraizu noted.