Guards brigade parades 36 suspected Fulani herdsmen

• 56 others arrested, being investigated
• Boko Haram attack Nigerian troops
Thirty-six suspected Fulani herdsmen claiming to be on a mission to recover their allegedly stolen cattle were paraded by the Guards Brigade at the checkpoint bordering the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State.

In the same vein, 56 others were arrested by soldiers in Dantata, the military checkpoint along Airport Road while entering the FCT on Sunday. They were said to have been ‘adequately armed.’

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army troops were yesterday attacked by members of Boko Haram sect in Nigeria’s northeast region Borno State.

This was made known to the public when the Army Headquarter revealed this on their twitter handle saying that the sect launched an attack on troops of 113 Battalion at Kareto, Northern Borno State.

The Fulani herdsmen, according to the Assistant Director Army Public Relations (ADAPR), Captain Bashir Jajira, were arrested at the Keffi entry point by the soldiers at the checkpoint with two vehicles, a Diana pick-up truck and Toyota Camry Saloon car. The suspects had with them assorted arms and ammunition.

According to the spokesman, weapons recovered from the suspects includes one pump-action gun, 19 cartridge dane guns, 118 cartridge ammo, 28 cutlasses, three jack knives, 14 sticks, seven torch lights, certificate of occupancy, assorted charms and hard drugs.

Fulani Herdsmen have in the last few months tormented residents in the North Central areas of the country, killed and maimed thousands in their homes, claiming to be searching for their cattle.

The suspected herdsmen were arrested on their way to Nasarawa, one of the states facing frequent attacks. The suspects claimed they were looking for their supposedly missing cattle, one of the soldiers said.

The statement reads in part: “A group of 36 herdsmen in Diana Truck and Toyota Camry car with registration number Abu Kuje 994 FX and Niger Sul 541 XA were intercepted and arrested at 177 Guards Battalion location by Keffi checkpoint.
“During the interrogation by troops at the check point, they claimed to be going to Nassarawa Local Government in Nasarawa State.”

While noting that the suspects would be handed over to the Police authority for prosecution, Jajira said, “at about 4:00pm on Sunday April 17, 2016, 56 herdsmen were arrested in Dantata Gwagwalada General area. Items recovered from them include 26 cartridge dane guns, 49 knives and cutlasses. They, however claimed to be on the look-out for those who stole their cows.”

While commending his men for a job well done, the Commander, Guards Brigade, Brigadier General Musa Yusuf, assured residents of the FCT that criminals would not find a safe haven within Abuja, as the collaboration with other security agencies is strengthened to ensure safety of lives and property.

Yusuf called on then public to ensure that information on criminal activities gets to the security agencies early enough. He stated that the suspects would be taken to appropriate authorities for further investigation before prosecution.

Although details of yesterday’s attack on soldiers remain sketchy, the BBC reported that a soldier who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the militants stormed the base in Kareto village in large numbers with “heavy weapons which we didn’t have.” The report quoted a soldier who spoke in Hausa.

Another solder quoted by AP said: “We lost some men — I don’t know how many — and many others were injured. Some of us fled in disarray. We realised that we were outnumbered and outgunned.”

However, a resident of Kareto, some 60km (37 miles) from neighbouring Niger, told the BBC Hausa service that troops managed to regain control of the village with the support of fighter jets.Several of the militants were killed in the fighting, which lasted for several hours, the resident added.

This is coming just a day after the military announced its discovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition concealed by Boko Haram terrorists in Borgozo-Alargano general area of Borno State.

Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and some Civilian Joint Task Force made the discovery during a clearance patrol by the troops following a tip off.

According to the Theatre Commander, the patrol team also cleared remnants of Boko Haram terrorists that were dislodged from Alagarno forest hibernating at Kadari, Camp Abu Fatima and Gursum.