Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Nigerian Army has paraded a Fulani herdsman, one Idi Gemu, after he was arrested with weapons at Adagu village in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State in connection with the Benue killings.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari while, in America, last week, told President Donald Trump that herdsmen in Nigeria only go about with sticks and machete occasionally while herding their cattle.
Gemu, who was arrested by men of the 72 Special Forces Battalion with an AK47 rifle, told newsmen, in Makurdi, that the riffle was not his own but belonged to a friend he met while looking for his sheep in Nasarawa/Benue borders.
Gems who spoke in Hausa language said he came from Adadu village in Obi Local government area of Nasarawa State to Guma in search of his missing sheep adding that he later found them among some Fulani guys who were staying in Torkula village in Guma area.
He said because it was too late to go back to Obi as at the time he found his sheep, he decided to stay back with his new found friends.
“So, it was while I was sleeping in the room that soldiers came, searched the house, found the gun in the room and arrested me while his friends escaped.”
But Lt. Col. Suleiman Muhammad told newsmen that on the April 26, men of the 72 Special Forces Battalion arrested three herdsmen militia in Guma and as a follow up to that, they increased their tempo of search which led to the arrest of Idi Gemu.
Muhammad said investigation is pointing to the fact that the three herdsmen arrested earlier and Idi were having the same sponsors even though he refused to name the sponsors.
“From investigation, the arrest of this suspect (Gemu) is pointing to the same source of the other three suspects who were earlier paraded at the weekend,” he said.
He stated the commitment of the army to do everything possible to protect lives and property of Nigerians even as he advised members of the public to avail them with adequate and timely information to enable them carry out their operations successfully.