Man Dies After Clash With Vigilante Group in Adamawa, Houses Burnt
- A man identified as Ojo has died following a confrontation involving a vigilante group in Yola South, Adamawa state
- The clash reportedly escalated from an attempted arrest into violent retaliation and community unrest in Sangere Bode
- Police have confirmed the incident and have launched efforts to apprehend those involved in the assault
Tension has gripped the Sangere Bode community in Yola South Local Government Area of Adamawa state after a confrontation involving a local vigilante (hunters’ association) group allegedly led to the death of a man identified as Ojo.
Source: Getty Images
The incident occurred on Monday, April 13, at about 11 a.m., when members of the vigilante group were reportedly asked to arrest a suspect and take him to the Kofare Police Station for investigation.
The operatives were said to have successfully arrested the suspect. However, while moving him towards their office, the younger brother of the suspect allegedly mobilised some youths in the community to stop the arrest, leading to a confrontation.
The situation reportedly escalated hours later when two members of the vigilante group allegedly went after the younger brother of the suspect and assaulted him. He was later confirmed dead.
Following the development, angry community members reportedly set houses ablaze, destroyed businesses, and burned down the vigilante office. The vigilante members involved have since been arrested and are in police custody.
Suspects recount incident
Speaking to Legit.ng, one of the suspects, Haruna Suleiman, gave his account of the incident.
His words:
"I'm a hunter, also known as a vigilante in the community. I was arrested because 2 members of our group beat up a young man named Ojo to death. What really happened was that there was a man named Danjuma who called me and reported that his son had been hit with a machete in the community over an ongoing accusation among the youths in the area."
"Danjuma called me and told me that his son was beaten, and when one of his neighbors went to help his child, the youths also attacked him. He got my contact from the office where I wrote it and called for help. I asked him if he had reported to the police station, and he admitted that he went to the Kofare division alongside his son, but said he wanted us to help investigate those responsible and take them to the police station."
“When I finished listening to him, I called four of my boys, Abdul Hamid, Musa, Haladu, and Yayo, in the office to go to the area and arrest the youths who carried out the act. They all boarded a tricycle and went to the area where the incident had happened. Danjuma came together with a boy who said he could identify the people who hit his son with a machete; they were sitting behind a provision store.”
“When the vigilante men went to the place together with Danjuma and the little boy, another chaos erupted. An older brother of one of the suspects stopped the vigilante group from arresting his younger brother. He gathered more youths in the community, who came out with different weapons to fight my men. My men called me and told me what was happening. I asked them to leave the scene immediately to avoid further issues.”
Source: UGC
He said that a few hours later, Musa and Haladu informed him that they had arrested Ojo, the older brother of the suspect who initially stopped them from making the arrest, and were taking him to the office.
However, he explained that Ojo sustained a head injury during the process and was taken to the hospital instead of the vigilante office or Kofare Police Station. It was later reported at the hospital that Ojo had died from severe internal bleeding caused by the assault.
Another suspect, Adulhamid Saleh, a 42-year-old carpenter, narrated:
“The reason why I’m in police custody is that I was arrested for killing someone named Ojo, which I did not do. Though I was among those who went to the scene of the fight, it was my other two colleagues, Musa and Haladu, who committed the act.”
“The two vigilante members are currently nowhere to be found after the incident.”
Adamawa police react
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, who confirmed the incident, described it as unfortunate.
He said security operatives are working to apprehend all those involved and ensure accountability.
According to him, vigilante groups are only mandated to assist in security operations and must not take the law into their own hands.
He added that residents should always report criminal matters to the police rather than resorting to self-help.
Burial dispute ends in fatal stabbing in Adamawa
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that suspects have narrated how a disagreement during a burial ceremony in Michika, Adamawa state, escalated into a violent clash that led to the death of a 22-year-old man.
One of the suspects claimed the confrontation began between youths of neighbouring villages before the situation turned chaotic. He alleged the victim attempted to attack him first, which prompted a retaliatory response during the struggle.
Source: Legit.ng
