One of the Fulani herdsmen arrested for carrying out the killings in Nimbo Community in Enugu State in April, Mohammadu Zurai, has given details of how the attack was planned, executed and why they decided to have a video recording of it.
Zurai said the attack was a revenge mission, claiming that six Fulani herdsmen were killed in the past by members of the Nimbo Community, but the government and leaders of the community did nothing to fish out the killers.
According to Zurai, more than 100 armed Fulani herdsmen from Taraba, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Katsina, Niger and Kaduna States took part in the attack.
Five of the attackers were arrested last week by a special team set up by the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase.
Known as the Special Intelligence Response Team, Zurai and four of his co-attackers were arrested for the attack.
Others arrested were Ciroma Musa, Sale Adamu, Suleiman Laute and Haruna Laute.
Zurai, a native of Garba Shehu Town in Taraba State, said he was born in Enugu State.
Recollecting how they planned and carried out the attack, Zurai said kola nuts were shared among Fulani leaders who rear cows around Nimbo Community.
The kola nuts served as an invitation to join in the forthcoming attack.
He said: “Our people responded by sending representatives to support the attack.
“Our meeting was held in Ameke Town, Kogi State, two days before the attack.
“It was actually at Kogi State that we fine-tuned our plan on how to strike.”
Zurai said he one the one saddled with recording the video of the attack.
He did the recording with his mobile telephone.
Others who participated in the Nimbo attack, according to Zurai, were Alhaji Suddi, Alhaji Kuriya, Alhaji Dula and Ardo Dula. He said all of them are residents of Enugu State.
He further said: “Mallam Adamu, Alhaji Chiroma, Adamu Sarka, Alhaji Botdo, Alhaji Iro Kogi, Alhaji Fanya and One Buba all came from Kogi State to join in the attack.
“In fact, they were the ones that invited me to join.
“A few days before we attacked Nimbo Community, one of my friends, Buba, called me.
“He said there was trouble and that Fulani people were gathering in the bush.
“He said they were sharing kolanuts.
“I left my cows and joined them.
“Our people had been killed in that community in the past and nothing was done about it.
“We entered Nimbo through the bush path.
“On our way, I met a man who had been butchered.
“He lay dead on the ground.
“I used my phone to video record the scene.
“I told the dead man that your people had the gut to kill Fulani men, now you are dead.
“Don’t your dead body know that Fulanis own Nigeria?
“On the way to Nimbo Community, I saw an Igbo man who is my friend.
“He used to give me food whenever I was around the town.
“I told him to leave the community immediately because Fulani men would slaughter him if they see him.
“We went through the bush path.”
