There
was pandemonium on Wednesday in Umomi community in the Ofu Local
Government Area of Kogi State when some policemen attached to the
Ugwolawo division opened fire on a crowd of protesting youths.
The murdered youths
Some policemen attached to the Ugwolawo division in the Ofu Local
Government Area of Kogi State on Wednesday, reportedly opened fire on a
crowd of protesting youths in Umomi community and two of the youths,
identified as Okaye Omodi and Zekeri Mohammed, were shot dead by the
officers, who immediately fled to their station.
According to a shocking report by Puch Metro, the youths were
protesting the arrest and detention of some residents, including a
retired police officer identified as Peter Adama who were arrested
around 11:00pm on Tuesday by some officers attached to the Special
Anti-Robbery Squad.
An eyewitness who is also a resident of the area identified as
Jeremiah Idege, said the operatives swooped on the community after some
Fulani herdsmen reported that their cows had been killed by some
residents, adding that the allegation was false, and that the herdsmen
had actually invaded and destroyed the community’s farmland.
“We have issues with the Fulani herdsmen and that has been on
for as long as 15 years. They have been destroying our farmland with
reckless abandon. As I speak with you, our community is wrecked.
“The little we have left was ravaged again by their cows
recently and we reported the matter at the Ugwolawo Police Division. We
were given four policemen to follow us to assess the level of damage
done to our crops.
“Later, the police said we should come to a roundtable meeting
with the herdsmen so they could resolve the case; but we refused. We
just asked them to leave in peace. If we collect any money from them,
they will say they have bought the lands and they will completely take
over what we have left,” he said.
Reports reveal that a few days after the mediation failed, the
herdsmen reported that some cows had been killed by the residents and
some of the community leaders followed the herdsmen round to see the
alleged dead cows, but found none.
Sani Emmanuel, who is another resident of the community, said the
herdsmen made the allegation because they were asked to leave the
village, adding that the Fulani leaders reported again at the police
station that another set of cows had been killed.
“On Tuesday, around 11pm, a group of policemen entered our
village and started breaking doors and ransacking our homes. They
arrested a lot of people, including Adama, who is retired police
officer,” he said.
Emmnauel said the arrest did not go down well with the community
youths, who trooped out on Wednesday to protest the continued
destruction of their farmland without any help from the security agents,
adding that the angry youths blocked the roads and sang solidarity
songs in a peaceful protest.
A witness said; “The protest, which started around 10am, was
peaceful and it was within our village. Suddenly, armed policemen from
the Ugwolawo division drove in and shot live bullets into the crowd. We
all fled without knowing what had happened. The policemen had left
before we knew they had killed two people.”
The corpses were said to have been abandoned on the road until the
Ata of Igala, Michael Idakwo, reportedly arrived at the scene and
ordered that the victims’ families should take them away for burial.
A resident said, “We don’t know who to cry to now that the
police, who are supposed to protect us, have turned against us. We don’t
know any human rights organisation to turn to. Please help us; we are
helpless.”
The Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, William Aya,
confirmed the incident, adding that the state Commissioner of Police had
gone to visit the scene.
“I don’t have all the details of what transpired now. But the
state Commissioner of Police has gone to see what actually transpired
and assuage the residents. I will get back when I finally get the
details,” he said.
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