Youths in Adamawa State who brought out the corpses of the slain members of the community from the bush have said the recovery of 8 bodies had raised the death toll from the Fulani attacks to 30.
(Left): People killed in attacks byb herdsmen on Kodomun, Adamawa State... on Tuesday. (R): Children fleeing. (Photos: Hindi Livinus)
Following the discovery of eight more corpses, the death toll from the latest Fulani herdsmen attacks on Kodomun community which started on Friday in Adamawa State, has hit 30, as the state Police Commissioner, Mohammed Ghazzali has been criticised over his comment and handling of the situation.
According to a report by Punch Newspaper, the deadly incident came on the day the Adamawa State Governor, Mohammed Jibrilla, visited the paramount ruler of the area, the Hama Bata, HRH Alhamdu Teneke, and held a security meeting with him at his palace with other service chiefs in the state in attendance.
Ghazzali, who visited the area on Monday shortly after the attacks by herdsmen, had reportedly claimed no life was lost. His denial of any casualty resulting from the attacks, while addressing journalists, after the security meeting, elicited anger from those present at the palace.
The police commissioner explained that his refusal to deploy policemen to Kodomun, which had come under attacks, from Fulani herdsmen, earlier on Friday and Saturday, before that of Monday was done so as not to make him look like “taking sides”
“My men were on the ground. We would not risk our men to be there just to give security to one side so that the other side will not think we have taken side with one side.
“There are two different people involved in these clashes: the herdsmen and the farmers. And we have to be very careful in handling such type of communal clashes,” he said.
The police commissioner’s insistence that no life was lost in the Monday attacks which sparked the uproar, as angry youths who threatened to unleash mayhem in the aftermath of his comment were dissuaded from their action by the elders in the palace.
The monarch, who said his people had been killed in the attacks, challenged the security chiefs to visit Kodomun, to find out for themselves if indeed there were no deaths.
“A lot of people have been killed. Today they would go and see for themselves the corpses of those slain in the attacks some of which they would find in the town and those yet to be brought in lying in the bush,” he said.
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