The Divisional Police Officer
of Vunokilang Police Station in the Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa
State, Okozie Okereofor, and 60 villagers were killed on Sunday when gunmen,
suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, invaded four communities in the local
government area.
Among those which unconfirmed
report alleged were killed in the attacks, which were carried out at about
5.30am on Sunday, were some policemen attached to Okereofor, a Chief
Superintendent of Police.
Also, two riot policemen, who
were on their way to quell the violence in Gerei, were killed in Mimbia, a
border village between Plateau and Kaduna states when their patrol vehicle came
under attack from rampaging Fulani herdsmen.
Okereofor, who was said to have
been transferred from Okigwe, Imo State, to Adamawa State just two months ago,
was said to have been ambushed along with his team, which was moving into the
troubled communities.
The corpses of the slain DPO
and other policemen were said to have been deposited at the morgue of the
Federal Medical Centre, Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
It was gathered that more than
200 gunmen invaded Demsare, Wunamokoh, Dikajam and Taboungo and some parts of
Fawore, where scores of the residents were gunned down.
The Police Public Relations
Officer, Adamawa Police Command, Othman Abubakar, who confirmed the killings,
said the DPO and his team were attacked while on an official duty in the
affected towns.
Abubakar, a Deputy
Superintendent of Police, added that the attackers looted, seized foodstuff and
the livestock of the villagers before setting the villages ablaze.
The PPRO stated, “The suspected
Fulani herdsmen raided four villages in Girei Local Government Area on Sunday
morning around 5.30am, killing scores including the DPO.”
The acting Brigade Commander of
the 23 Armoured Brigade, Yola, Col. A. B. Poopola, said the situation had been
brought under control while soldiers were helping the police to maintain law
and order.
A community leader, Mr. P. P.
Elisha, said the DPO’s team came under the attack of the invaders when it was
heading for the crisis areas to restore order.
Elisha alleged that recently,
most of the Fulani herdsmen and their families, who resided in the four towns,
relocated to Yola, adding that he reported the ‘‘strange’’ movements to the
police and the district head of Girei on Saturday night.
The Media Officer of the
Special Task Force in Plateau State, known as Operation Safe Haven, Capt.
Ikedichi Iweha, told our correspondent that two riot policemen were killed in
the attack on the Kaduna community.
He said some gunmen opened fire
on the patrol vehicle, killing the policemen in the process, adding that the
STF ensured that there was no spillover into Plateau State.
Iweha stated, “The incident
happened in Mimbia, which is a border village between Plateau and Kaduna
states. When we heard the information, we responded immediately by ensuring
that there was no spillover into Plateau. Troops from the 4 Demonstration
Battalion in Kaduna also responded.
“The two policemen have been
identified and taken to Kaduna by the troops.”
The Executive Director of
Stefanos Foundation, Mr. Mark Lipdo, quoting some survivors of the Adamawa
attacks, claimed that many of the inhabitants of the troubled communities had
deserted their villages while the armed herdsmen were reported to have occupied
the communities.
Lipdo said, “Information says
early morning today (Sunday), Fulani terrorists unleashed violence on three
communities in the Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Source: Punch Newspaper
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