Police DPO, 29 Others Killed In Fulani-Farmers Feud In Adamawa

Posted by admin Adamawa, Headlines, Nigerian Police, State News Sunday, January 24th, 2016

No fewer than 30 persons, including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Vunokilang Police Station in Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State, were brutally murdered in the early hours of Sunday by gunmen believed to be in connivance with Fulani herdsmen.

Daily Sun gathered that the suspected Fulani herdsmen raided the four villages, among which are Demsare, Wunamokoh, Dikajam and Taboungo in vengeance over a farmer/cattle rearer feud that goes back two years ago.

The DPO of Vunokilang, Chief Superintendent of Police, Okozie Okereofor, who had assumed duties for two months, was reportedly ambushed when he was leading his men to the disputed area and lost his life in a gun fight.

The corpse of the police officer and the rest of the deceased civilians were deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, yesterday as at the time of filing this report.

The spokesman of the Adamawa State Police Command, DSP Othman Abubakar, said that the DPO and his team were attacked while on official duty in the affected villages, confirming that Okereofor was killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Abubakar however declined to give the death toll as he said he was yet to gather enough facts on the incident, but that the report at his disposal indicated that the attackers looted the food stuff and livestocks of the residents after which they set the villages blaze.

“The suspected Fulani herdsmen raided four villages in Girei local Government area on Sunday morning around 5:30 am killing scores including the late DPO,” Abubakar stressed.

Also confirming the attack, the Acting Brigade Commander of the 23rd Armoured Bridgade, Yola, Col. Aba Popoola, said the attackers were Fulani herdsmen and have prolonged a crisis yet to be settled in the affected communities.

He said everything was under control as he had deployed his men to maintain law and order.

At the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, victims were seen receiving treatment.

Meanwhile, the management of the Hospital has issued a directive that no journalist should be allowed into the hospital as some of the victims were under intensive care.

(David Molomo, SUN NEWS ONLINE)wp_posts