The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, confirmed the killing in a text message, saying the incident occurred on Sunday.
Usman did not disclose the identity of the deceased traditional ruler but said the police had arrested some suspects in connection with the incident.
“Yes, it is true the village head was killed in Lafagu under the Bagudo Local Government. We have made some arrests in respect of the incident and will provide details later,” the PPRO said.
Meanwhile, findings by our correspondent suggest that the killing may have been linked to an armed ethnic militia operating in the area, rather than bandits or Lakurawa insurgents.
A source, Tukur Kaoje, told PUNCH Metro that members of the Fulani, Kambarawa and Bargawa communities had lived together in the area for decades before a recent escalation in insecurity allegedly linked to cattle rustling and kidnapping.
According to Kaoje, following the alleged infiltration of some communities by Lakurawa fighters, some residents of the Bargawa and Kambarawa communities reportedly accused Fulani residents of involvement in the attacks and subsequently formed armed groups to confront them.
He alleged that the militia recently attacked Boya village, where scores of Fulani residents were reportedly killed.
“Yes, the village head was beheaded in Lafagu, but we are not sure whether the killers were bandits or Lakurawa. There are allegations that it was carried out by an armed ethnic militia,” Kaoje said.
He described the situation in Lafagu and neighbouring communities as tense and called on the government to urgently intervene to prevent further escalation.
Kaoje warned that failure to address the situation could trigger a wider cycle of communal violence and make the security crisis increasingly difficult to contain.
Post a Comment