The Nigerian Army said, on Wednesday, that it had taken into custody some soldiers who were accused of oppression and illegally seizing 518 cows, 177 sheep and rams belonging to the Fulani Waziri family of Rafin Sarki village in Fatika District.
The Director, Army Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu told our correspondent that the army had received the petition by the aggrieved family and had commenced full investigations into the case.
“Reference your inquiry. Information available to me is that investigation into the allegation is currently ongoing.
“The personnel involved have been taken into custody and investigation has commenced and we should await the outcome,” Nwachukwu said.
The Fulani Waziri family in the Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State had in their petition, urged the Nigerian Army authorities to order the detachment of soldiers deployed to Fatika to return their animals and henceforth stop selling their farmlands.
They also called for full investigation into the activities of the soldiers in the community, whom they accused of killing 12 members of the family without provocation.
The family listed those allegedly killed by the soldiers as: Nura Abdussalam, Adamu Abdulkarim, Yusuf Haruna, Buhari Haruna, Kabiru Haruna, Hussaini Haruna, Zinatu Bello, Haruna Idris, Waziri, Rayyanu Shuaibu, Alhaji Abdulkarim and Salisu Abdulkarim.
The family’s complaint was contained in a petition to the National Security Adviser dated April 12, 2024, signed by their lawyer, Mr Bello Ibrahim.
The petition was also copied the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Director General of the Department of State Services; Governor of Kaduna State, and the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Nigerian Army, under whose area of responsibility the incidents allegedly occurred.
In the petition, the family demanded the return of their animals, payment of compensation and protection from further harassment, intimidation and violation of their human rights.
They said their ordeal began on December 3, 2022, when some suspected military personnel went to the village and killed 10 members of the family without justification.
The family added that the alleged attack was led by one Sgt Usman, locally known by the villagers as ‘Bagobiri’ because of his tribal marks, who was posted to the village from Basawa barracks, Zaria.
“Sir, our clients are not in the position to know the precise official names of the soldiers involved in these acts of wickedness and disrespect for law and order.
“All they could remember was the manner Sergeant Usman organised the attacks and seizure of their cattle and other animals without justification,’’ the family lawyer stated in the petition.
Bello explained that on January 14, Sgt Usman, with the assistance of some vigilantes, seized 168 cows belonging to the family and kept them at their camp located at Fatika.
He added that the animals were, however, released on January 15, after the family complained to the superior operating officer at Basawa Barrack.
Bello further stated that a similar attack was launched on the family on March 9, where Sgt Usman mobolised the vigilantes, seized and transported 518 cows and 177 sheep and rams belonging to the family.
“In the presence and open eyes of our clients, Usman Bagobiri sold some of the cows to many people at their camp and later brought trailers and loaded the rest of the cows, sheep and rams and led them away to an unknown destination,’’ he alleged in the petition.
Bello said that the same Sergeant had been extremely hostile to the family members, especially Abdulsalam Haruna, who forwarded the initial complaint against the soldiers to the Basawa barrack.
The lawyer further stated in the petition that 300 of the cows were pregnant and likely to deliver at any moment, which may increase the herd to more than 850.
He added that 100 sheep were also pregnant at the time and likely to give birth and raise their number to at least 130.
This, according to him, will likely raise the number of sheep and rams from 177 to about 300.
Bello continued, “We solicit the assistance of the authority to urgently intervene and bring back the cows, sheep and rams of our clients immediately, and to ensure that the family lands of our clients are returned to them.
“We also seek the payment of N500,000,000 as damages, compensation for suffering, hardship, fear and intimidation inflicted upon our client by soldiers.
“Sir, should it be that our client’s cows, sheep and rams are extinguished and lost due to unjustified seizure of the animals by the soldiers of the Nigerian army, our clients are entitled to the payment of compensation in the sum of N2bn along with the release of their farmlands.
“With the instructions of our clients, we request for the payment of N250, 000, 000 each as compensation for the killing of 12 persons listed above, given the total of N3bn.”