In a grim discovery, eleven decomposing bodies of Fulani individuals from Tulde Fulbe, Ladduga Grazing Reserve in Kaduna State were found in a forest near the area called “Crossing” within the Kachia Local Government Area.
The deceased were allegedly arrested by soldiers at various times, as reported by Daily Trust.
Distraught relatives and community members, overcome with grief, undertook the painful task of placing their loved ones in sacks after a 30-minute drive to the location where the bodies were reportedly dumped due to their advanced state of decomposition.
The victims, including Safiyanu Adamu, Abdulkadir Idris, Akilu Abdullahi, Ibrahim Abubakar, Magaji Umar, Said Saleh, Abdulaziz Yusuf, Ibrahim Sani, Musa Dan Asabe, Nura Yusuf, and Nuru Magaji, were said to have been apprehended by soldiers.
The Army Headquarters in Abuja referred inquiries to the 1st Division of the Nigerian Army in Kaduna, who denied the allegations of killing suspects in their custody. The families of the deceased, however, recount harrowing experiences, accusing soldiers of unjust arrests and property seizures.
One father, Adamu Idris, claimed his son was arrested while being taken to the hospital after a motorcycle accident. Another community member, Ayuba Muhammad, accused soldiers of raiding homes and seizing property, urging intervention from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani to address the perceived injustice against Fulani in Ladduga.
The community members called for an investigation into the actions of soldiers, claiming that innocent Fulani individuals were being arrested and killed without proper inquiry. The Village Head of Tilde Fulbe, Muhammad Yusuf, urged a thorough investigation into the matter.
The Kaduna State government, represented by Samuel Aruwan, the Overseeing Commissioner for the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, confirmed the receipt of the complaint and assured that an investigation would be conducted.
The Nigerian Army, through Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yahaya, countered the allegations, stating that Operation Whirl Punch troops had arrested a suspected bandit near Crossing, and another suspect was still at large.
The army asserted that the arrested individual was aiding an investigation into terrorist activities and insurgency, denying any wrongdoing in the reported incidents.
