Ayuba Mafi
The chairman of the Amalgamated Union of Fulani Cattle Breeders of Nigeria, Alhaji Sadiq Ibrahim Ahmad, has called for an independent investigation into the circumstances that led to the alleged murder of an “innocent” woman in Tafawa Balewa local government area of Bauchi State recently.
Bauchi State Police Command confirmed the gruesome murder of one Mrs. Rifkatu Yohanna, a 35-year-old woman, in a village in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the state.
Sadiq, who stated this during an interview with our correspondent yesterday in Bauchi described the incident as jungle justice.
He also said there was a deliberate ploy to blame the death to the Fulani tribe. He was responding to a press statement on the allegation that the killing of the woman is the handwork of the Fulani people in the area.
Sadiq said, “Another reason why the action of Tafawa Balewa people is deliberate was that the police who apprehended the two Fulani children at Bununu took them to Tafawa Balewa Town Police Station instead of Bununu Police Station.”
He maintained that it is only through investigations by neutral security agents that truth could be unearthed.
The Bauchi State Government upon receipt of security report from Tafawa Balewa Local Government over the incident, strongly condemned it, saying it is coming at a time when the government is working assiduously to consolidate on the successes made in providing security to the people.
The Secretary to the State Government, Ibrahim Muhammad Kashim in a statement said that it was disheartening that the government’s achievement for relative peace in the state is being threatened by forces of darkness, who are hell-bent on unleashing mayhem on unsuspecting members of the public.
Kashim said, “While condemning this act, let it be unequivocally stated that the government will continue to work with the security agencies to provide sustainable peace across the state. The security force has commenced investigations into the matter and some arrests have been made.”
He called on the people in the state to remain calm, resist the temptation to take the law into their hands, and assist security agencies by providing useful information that will help to crack down the criminals.
Kashim assured the public that no stone will be left unturned in unearthing, arresting, and dealing with the culprits decisively in accordance with the law.
The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakili, said, “A case of culpable homicide that happened on Monday, 20 09 2021 at about 2045 hours, a distress call was put through to the DPO, Tafawa Balewa in relation to one Rifkatu Yohanna, 35 years old woman of Tafawa Balewa town.
“She went to the farm on the same date at 008hrs and did not return home. When a distress call was received by the DPO, a combined team of searches was organized by the DPO as well as the DPO of Bununu during which her corpse was recovered in the bush near a hamlet.
“Violence then erupted in Tafawa Balewa when some people came out and were protesting and youths stoned and damaged the patrol vehicle of Bununu Division as a result of which some of them were injured.”
