"Forgive Us for our atrocities" - Fulani Herdsman Confesses how they killed Many, burn houses in Nigeria

Abuja – The recent disturbing killings and burning of houses in Zamfara State, have prompted the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris to order his Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) to get the culprits arrested and restore peace in the state.

Subsequently, IRT swung into action and arrested four armed bandits.

Abba Kyari’s team also arrested arms supplier to the gang.

Crime Tracker gathered that the suspects, Hamisu Sani, Shehu Sani, Yusuf Mande and Lawal Abubakar, were trailed to their hideouts in Bauchi and in Zamfara states, through intelligent gathering and use of modern technologies.

Police sources disclosed that, the killings and burning of houses in Zamfara, were perpetuated by people believed to be Fulani herdsmen, who formed several killer groups, such as Buharin Daji.

Crime Tracker gathered that commander of Buharin Daji, who controlled larger network of armed bandits and cattle rustlers across major northern states, was killed in March 2018, alongside some of his lieutenants by a rival cattle rustling syndicate, led by one Dogo Gide.

We gathered that his death was after he led his men to steal hundreds of cattle from Dogo Gide’s father in-law in Zamfara State

It was further gathered that the IRT Commander, Abba Kyari, based on this development, swiftly deployed a crack team of operatives, who were armed with advance technologies into Zamfara state to track down the bandits and neutralize their activities.

Chief Chidi Ibeh is the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Imo State. In this interview…

Further investigation revealed that one of Buharin Daji’s arms supplier, Lawal Abubakar, was arrested in Zamfara State. He allegedly confessed to have supplied over 10 Ak-47 assault rifles to the group. His confessions were said to have aided IRT operatives in apprehending three other commanders of the Buharin Daji’s group.

Speaking to Crime Tracker, Shehu Sani, 27 from Bauchi State, said, he was one of the commanders of Buharin Daji.

“I am from Bauchi State, a famer. I married two wives with four children. I had no formal education. I joined the Buharin Daji’s, group because I needed to protect my cattle from been rustled. If you are a member of any of the groups your cattle will not be rustled. I have gone to several operations in Zamfara State and our intentions were mainly cattle rustling but some of the villagers put up resistance and fought to prevent us from carting away their cattle. We had no other option than to kill them and burn their houses, before carting away their cattle. For this reason, some of the villages set up vigilante groups, but we were not deterred.. Buhari Daji paid me N5000 after each operation. But Buahrin Daji has been killed by Dogo Dide’s group. They ambushed and killed him and some of our members on their way for a peace meeting in Zamfara State. Our group is presently being controlled by one Nagala.

Another commander of the group, Yusuf Mande, 30, told Crime Tracker that he is “a Fulani native from Kunkele Village in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.I am also a member of the Buhari Daji’s group and we are responsible for most of the killings in Zamfara state. I joined the group in 2014, because some people from Ruwanmesa village came to my village and burnt over 30 houses including my own house.

“They took away over 120 cows, Ruwanmesa people are not Fulani’s and accused our people of rustling their cattle and they brought in their vigilante to attack us and burn down my house. I got angry and joined the Buhari Daji group because he has lot of men and an uncountable number of guns and also to retaliate the injustice that was done to me. After I joined the group, I told Buhari Daji what happened in my village and he brought his men and we attacked Ruwanmesa village and we killed every one in it, including women and children.”

“We took away over 50 cows and I was given one out of it. We also attacked Mashema in Maru Local Government and killed every one in the village, that was in May 2017.We attacked the Mashema because their people attacked a Fulani village and killed its inhabitants in Zanfara State. After we attacked Mashema we took away 40 cows and seven camels, I was given one cow after the operation. After those operations, I left for Buachi State, because Zamfara State Government offered amnesty to cattle rustlers and people carrying out killings within the state. Our leader Buhari Daji warned us not to accept the amnesty and vowed to kill anyone who accepted it. That was the reason I relocated with my two wives and my family out of the state. I was in Buachi state when Buhari Daji was killed by Dogo-gide.”

Lawali Abubakar, the arms supplier confessed that, he made only N20,000 from the 10 pieces of AK-47 rifles. He said; “I am married to three wives with 23 children. I am a farmer from Zamfra State, Buharin Daji approached me and said he needed Ak-47 rifles and he gave me N1.8 million to buy the rifles. I bought them from one Alhaji Suleiman at Bariki-Ladi in Plateau State. We hid the arms inside a Volkswagen Ventra and we took them to him in Zamfara State. Five days after, he sent me another N1.8million to buy another five set of Ak-47 rifle, I made N20,000 for that deal.”