Police Arraign Five Fulani/Kanuri Herdsmen Responsible For Nimbo Killings

Police Arraign Five Fulani/Kanuri Herdsmen Responsible For Nimbo Killings

The police on Monday arraigned five Fulani and Kanuri herdsmen before an Enugu State High Court in Nsukka for allegedly carrying out the April 25, 2016 killings in Nimbo, Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu state.

Scores of people were killed and properties and farmland valued at millions of naira were destroyed when suspected herdsmen attacked seven villages — Nimbo Ngwoko, Ugwuijoro, Ekwuru, Ebor, Enugu Nimbo, Umuome and Ugwuachara — in the area.

Those arraigned included Mohammed Zurai (Fulani); Suleiman Lautai (Kanuri); Sale Haruna Lautai (Fulani); Adamu Suleiman (Fulani) and one Alhaji Ciroma.

The accused were said to have spearheaded the attack on the communities. They pleaded not guilty to the charge, the Vanguard reports.

The defence counsel, Dr A. N. Mohammed asked the court to release the accused on bail. he argued that they had been kept in prison without charges for over a year, contrary to the law.

But Paul Ugwueze and Chuka Ezike, the counsels from Office of Director of Prosecutions, Enugu State,  DPP, argued that the circumstances under which the accused persons were charged required that they are held in prison.

The trial judge, Justice Anthony Onovo, adjourned the case till October 16, 2017 for ruling on the bail application.

Kingsley Ezugwu, a former Councillor, Nimbo Ward 2, who claimed to be a victim of the Nimbo attack recounted what happened during the attack:

“I was coming out from the house when I heard the community bell ringing. I was going with a friend to know what the bell was all about, only to see about 40 Fulani herdsmen armed with sophisticated guns and machetes.

“They pursued us, killed my friend and shot at me several times but missed. They caught up with me and used machetes on me until I lost consciousness.”

He said he was helped to the hospital by a Good Samaritan after the attackers left him for dead.

Meanwhile, Herdsmen killed 2 farmers, Chiaha Okeke and Charles Maduegbunam, in the Adaba area of the state in a fresh attack over the weekend.

Though the police spokesperson, Ebere Amaraizu said he has was not aware of the attack, a lawyer, Reuben Ochi, in the area told the newspaper that While Chiaha corpse has not been recovered, Maduegbunam’s body has been recovered.