Three herdsmen have been apprehended and would be charged soon by the police for allegedly killing a farmer in Akwa-Ibom.

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested three Fulani herdsmen for the alleged murder of one Peter Asuquo in his farm at the Shelter Afrique Extension, Uyo.

Asuquo, who hailed from the Afaha Atai village in the Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of the state, was said to have been stabbed to death by the herdsmen

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Odiko Macdon, said in a statement on Tuesday that the command was alerted to the incident by the brother of the deceased, Ime Essien, and immediately swung into action on the directives of the Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal.

The statement read in part, “On November 30, 2019, around 11am, the Akwa Ibom State Police Command received a report from one Ime Essien of the Afaha Atai village in the Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area that one Peter Asuquo of the same address, while in his farm at Shelter Afrique Extension, was stabbed by suspected cattle herders around 9.30am, leading to his death.

“On the strength of this, the Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, ordered the immediate arrest of the perpetrators of the dastardly crime.

“In a swift response to the directive of the CP, the following suspects were arrested in connection with the said crime: Shehu Ule, Aliyu Umar and Neusa Adamu.”

Macdon said to forestall a breakdown of law and order and enhance peaceful coexistence, the commissioner on Monday held a peace meeting with some stakeholders in the area in his office.

He added that the CP sympathised with the family of the deceased and assured them that the perpetrators would be charged immediately.

Meanwhile, the Ekiti State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr Solomon Iyamu, said on Tuesday that two herdsmen had been arrested for allegedly destroying farm produce in the Gbonyin and Ise/Orun local government areas of the state.

Iyamu said about 100 cows, which were also picked up during the raid that followed complaints by the frustrated farmers, were in custody in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

The NSCDC boss said the arrests were made possible through a joint operation of the Agro Rangers’ Unit of the NSCDC, the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police, Ekiti State Anti-Grazing Agency and men of the Vigilante Groups of Nigeria in the area.

According to him, the operation, which lasted about six hours, took place at Ago Aduloju and Ogbese areas of Ise-Orun and Gbonyin local government areas of the state.

He said, “There has been a series of complaints by farmers, especially against herders migrating from neighbouring states to Ekiti in search of fresh pastures for their animals.

“The herders were discovered uprooting tubers to feed their animals and also destroying barns and other valuables. They were arrested when they were destroying some farms on the Ado-Ijan Road.”

Iyamu said the herdsmen would be charged as soon as investigation into the matter was completed.

Iyamu appealed to farmers in the state not to take the law into their own hands, but rather report any perceived herders’ threat as he praised the joint operation for the synergic and successful operation.

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