Some chilling details have emerged on the April 25 massacre of residents of Nimbo community in Enugu State by Fulani herdmen following the arrest of a 24-year-old suspect, Mohammadu Zurai, by the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team.
Zurai, who was arrested alongside four other suspects – Ciroma Musa (3), Sale Adamu (33), Suleiman Laute (43) and Haruna Laute (24) – told the police that at least 100 Fulani herdsmen from seven states took part in the massacre.
According to the suspect, Fulani leaders rearing cows in Taraba, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Katsina, Niger and Kaduna States contributed representatives to take part in the attack.
Zurai, a Fulani herdsman living in Kogi State, said he was born in Enugu State even though his family are from Garba Shehu town in Taraba State.
His statement revealed that prior to the attack, kolanuts were shared among Fulani leaders in the seven states earlier identified, urging them to support the attack.
According to Zurai, the attack came because of the killing of six Fulani herdsmen in the community in the past without repercussion.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that the leader later sent representatives who took part in the attack.
Two days before the attack (April 23), a meeting where the plans were perfected was held in Ameke town, Kogi State.
The police had revealed that a video recording of the killing was recovered from Zurai.
Zurai said, “After we attacked the town through the bush, I saw a man who had just been slaughtered on the ground. I brought out my phone and recorded the scene.
“I asked the dead man, ‘Your people had confidence to kill Fulani people but now you are dead. Don’t you know that Fulani owns Nigeria?’ I recorded the video to show my relatives in Kogi where I live how successful the operation was. As we moved around Nimbo, I saw an Igbo man who used to give me food anytime I was in the state. I warned him to quickly leave town to avoid being killed.”
Zurai said he was invited to take part in the killing by one Buba. He identified leaders who participated in the killing as Alhaji Suddi, Alhaji Kuriya, Alhaji Dula and Ardo Dula (living in Enugu State).
Others he identified are Mallam Adamu , Alhaji Chiroma, Adamu Sarka, Alhaji Botdo, Alhaji Iro Kogi and Alhaji Fanya (from Kogi State).
