Eleven decomposing corpses of Fulani individuals were discovered in a forest near the “Crossing” area within the Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

According to reports from Daily Trust, the bodies were identified by relatives and community members as those of Fulani individuals allegedly arrested by soldiers at different times.

Relatives and community members took the initiative to collect the decomposing bodies, identified as Safiyanu Adamu, Abdulkadir Idris, Akilu Abdullahi, Ibrahim Abubakar, Magaji Umar, Said Saleh, Abdulaziz Yusuf, Ibrahim Sani, Musa Dan Asabe, Nura Yusuf, and Nuru Magaji.

The victims were allegedly arrested by soldiers, sparking concerns over the circumstances leading to their deaths.

Adamu Idris, the father of one victim, Safiyanu alleged that he was taking his son to a hospital after being involved in an accident when he was arrested by the soldiers.

He recounted his son’s arrest, stating, “I was taking my son who was bleeding from his mouth to a hospital when the soldiers stopped us, took him and told us they were taking him to Abuja. They accused my son of being a thief, an accusation, which I denied. Before they left, they (soldiers) collected the N18,000 cash I was holding to pay my son’s hospital bills.

“A week after his arrest, I was informed that his corpse had been found. I want justice for my son and all the other victims. The soldiers in the area are taking advantage of us, the Fulani.”

Community member Ayuba Muhammad accused soldiers of raiding homes, taking property, and engaging in unwarranted arrests.

He appealed for intervention from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani to address the reported injustices.

Ayuba stated, “On the 30th of December, 2023, soldiers came to the “Crossing” market, they arrested some people and shot at Nuhu Yusuf in broad daylight. After that, they entered the village, took more people and raided some houses and took N30,000 from one of the houses.”

“In another house, they went away with a bag of ginger, which was being dried. After that, they again came into our community in the night, raided some houses and went away with motorcycles and ginger.”

A relation of Nuru Magaji, Suleiman Abdullahi, described an incident where soldiers allegedly arbitrarily arrested individuals, leading to the tragic deaths of several community members.

He urged the government to address the “issue of intimidation and injustice by soldiers.”

The Village Head of Tilde Fulbe, Muhammad Yusuf, called for a thorough investigation into the matter, accusing soldiers of arresting and killing innocent Fulani individuals without proper inquiry.

Responding to the allegations, the Overseeing Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs in Kaduna State, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed receiving the complaint and pledged to investigate the matter.

The commissioner stated, “We have received their complaint and we will look into it. Our doors are open and we will investigate. While we appeal for calm, we will look at the possibility of engaging them to understand what truly happened.”

The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 1 Division Headquarters Kaduna, Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yahaya confirmed the arrest of a suspected bandit, but he denied the alleged killings and exploitation by soldiers.

He emphasized that the suspect is alive and aiding an ongoing investigation.

Yahaya said “The Commanding Officer of Operation Whirl Punch has confirmed that troops picked up a suspected bandit near crossing in Kachia Local Government Area and recovered a weapon from him. He is currently in their custody and is aiding investigation.”

“Acting of credible intelligence, troops of the division stormed Tilden Fulani on 30 December 2023 during which one Mr Ibrahim was arrested as suspect for involvement in terrorist activities and insurgency.”

“The suspect is currently in our custody and had confessed to be involved in insurgency. He has further volunteered information that will assist the troops in subsequent operation. The troops did not molest anybody or killed anyone as alleged.”

“On 21 December 2023 along Maro-Katul Crossing in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, troops of 1 Division while responding to a kidnap incident neutralized three kidnappers.”

“The kidnap victim, one Mr Rabiu Ahmed was stabbed and dispossessed by the suspects who fled when troops approached. Items recovered from the kidnappers include two machetes, the motorcycle dispossessed from the victim and 2 x mobile phones recovered from them alongside the sum of N15, 000 which they also collected from the victim. The victim was taken to a military medical facility where he was treated and his motorcycle and other belongings where returned to him.”