A farmer in Nasarawa State’s Toto Local Government Area was slain by suspected Fulani herders.
News About Nigeria gathered that the deceased farmer, Solomon Yusuf, was attacked by suspected herdsmen while attending a wedding celebration in the Rakpami community of the LGA.
The Secretary of the Gbagyi Cultural Renaissance Foundation in the state, Musa Emmanuel-Dnasuwa, said in a statement signed in Lafia on Saturday, “The attention of the Gbagyi Cultural Renaissance Foundation has been drawn to the activities of some disgruntled Fulani herdsmen who are poised on distorting the relative peace enjoyed by the good people of Toto LGA.”
He claimed that the accused herdsmen have continued to kill and maim people at will, adding that they damage farmer’s crops with impunity and threaten the lives of anyone who tries to challenge them.
The statement bemoaned the herdsmen’s uncultured and uncivil behaviour, which has once again raised security concerns in Toto local government area, emphasising that with the latest victim, Solomon Yusuf, who was gruesomely murdered in cold blood by the assailants at Rakpami on Saturday, July 1, 2023, during a wedding ceremony, for reasons only known to them.
He noted that, despite learning that a suspect was arrested by a community vigilante and then turned over to the police, they are waiting to see how the law plays out.
The group thanked the Osu Yelwa, Musa Abu-Shekwo, for his quick action, which calmed the situation and avoided the area’s youngsters from taking the law into their own hands.
He urged the Toto LGA Executive Chairman, Hon. Aliyu Abdullahi-Tashas, and Governor Abdullahi Sule to liaise with security authorities to ensure that measures are put in place to prevent any further breakdown of law and order in the area.
The statement emphasised to the government that despite the maturity and decorum displayed by the Gbagyi people for the sake of peace, the Fulani herdsmen misunderstood it for weakness and routinely abused our peaceful character.
It encouraged the government to move immediately to deal with the situation so that it did not spiral out of control, saying that they are known for being peace-loving people and intended to maintain that reputation.
When contacted, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel, claimed that the command had yet to receive formal information on the matter.
He noted that the command was yet to get formal information on the purported killing of the guy by herders in the region, assuring all Nasarawa State residents that the Commissioner of Police, Maiyaki Baba, is working relentlessly to make the state safe for all.
