BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – A Fulani herder, Adamu Ibrahim, has been arrested by the police in Bauchi for allegedly attacking and cutting-off the left hand of a farmer, who challenged him for invading his farm with his herds of cows.
The arrest of the deadly herder was made possible by the Operatives of the Area Command, Metro of the Bauchi State Police Command.
The unfortunate and dastardly act was believed to have taken place at Jital village along Gombe road following the trespass into a farm with his cows and destroyed the farm crops.
Adamu Ibrahim is being accused of engaging in deliberate mischief and causing a grievous hurt which led to the forceful amputation of the hand of the farmer.
The State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Ahmed Wakili, said that preliminary investigations by the Police revealed that the suspect had on several occasions while rearing his cows, trespassed into the victim’s farmland.
The unfortunate incident followed a series of complaints to the suspect’s father by the victim for intrusion into his rice farmland by the suspect.
Further investigation by the police, revealed that on August 24, 2023, Adamu Ibrahim, who was armed with a stick and machete, again mischievously invaded the victim’s farmland and destroyed the yet-to-be-ascertained value of crops.
The development caused a disagreement as the victim asked the suspect to vacate his farm land and in the process, the suspect stabbed the victim and also chopped-off left hand.
Upon receipt of the report, the Area Commander, Metropolitan, swung into action and activated more preventive measures to avert a situation that may degenerate into a herder-farmer’s clash in the area and thereby directed the arrest of the suspect.
The victim was there after rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi for medical attention and he is presently responding to treatment.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of Bauchi State Command, CP Auwal Musa Mohammed, has therefore warned herders to steer clear from intrusion into farmlands in the state.
CP Mohammed also directed that Adamu Ibrahim be charged to court upon the completion of the discreet investigation and also advised that reports of any crime should be reported to the nearest Police Station for prompt action rather than resorting to self-help.
