Police Speak On Prosecution of Killer Herdsmen

Police Speak On Prosecution of Killer Herdsmen.

The Nigeria Police Force has revealed that some criminal herders had been arrested and prosecuted over various crimes in some parts of the country.

Recall that the presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu had revealed on Monday that the federal government is prosecuting many criminal herdsmen across the nation.

He also urged the police to release the names of all those criminal herders being prosecuted particularly in Benue State.

But a source at Force Headquarters told Vanguard that some herders had been arrested over various crimes bordering on rape and murder.

According to the source, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State recently confirmed the arrest of over 300 herders, with over 900 heads of cattle and sheep, in the last three years, for violating the state’s Open Grazing and Ranches Law of 2017.

He said some of those arrested were charged to court and should be serving their jail terms. He, however, could not state if the Force would be publishing names of herders arrested, h

The police source further highlighted some of the arrests to include that of four herders recently in Plateau State, for allegedly raping some minors.

Their names were given as Hamisu Mohammed, 18, Rayanu Mohammed, 15, Mustapha Yunusa, 15, and Abbas Salisu, 17.

Police sources said:

  In July 2019, three herdsmen were arrested for allegedly killing a 40-year-old farmer, Rafiu Sowemimo. Two other herdsmen, Abu Adamu and Muhammadu Aliyu, were arrested in the same state for alleged armed robbery and rape. We have made arrest of many of them. We can’t readily state the number of arrest made so far”.