Family asks CDS and COAS about seizure of 700 cows, others by soldiers

In a petition made available to Newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja, the family urged the army authorities to order the detachment of soldiers deployed in Fatika to return their animals and stop the sale of their farmlands.

They also called for a full investigation into the activities of the soldiers in the community, whom they accused of killing twelve members of the family without provocation.

The family listed those allegedly killed by the soldiers as; Nura Abdussalam, Adamu Abdulkarim, Yusuf Haruna, Buhari Haruna, Kabiru Haruna, Hussaini Haruna, Zinatu Bello, Haruna Idris, Waziri, Rayyanu Shuaibu, Alhaji Abdulkarim and Salisu Abdulkarim.

The family’s complaint was contained in a petition to the National Security Advisor dated April 12, 2024, signed by their lawyer, Mr. Bello Ibrahim.

The petition was also addressed to the Chief of Defense Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Director DSS, Governor of Kaduna State and the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Nigerian Army, under whose responsibility the incidents allegedly occurred.

In the petition, the family requested the return of their animals, payment of damages and protection from further harassment, intimidation and violation of their human rights.

They said their ordeal began on December 3, 2022, when suspected military personnel went to the village and killed 10 members of the family without justification.

The family added that the alleged attack was led by one Sergeant Usman, locally known to the villagers as Bagobiri due to his tribal characteristics, who was deployed to the village from Basawa Barracks, Zaria.

“Sir, our clients are not in a position to know the precise official names of the soldiers involved in these acts of impiety and disrespect for law and order.

“All they could remember was the way Sergeant Usman organized the attacks and seizures of their livestock and other animals without justification,” the family lawyer said in the petition.

Bello explained that on January 14, Sergeant Usman, with the help of some vigilante members, seized 168 cows from the family and kept them at their camp in Fatika.

He added that the animals were, however, released on January 15 after the family complained to the Basawa barracks manager.

Bello stated that a similar attack was launched on the family on March 9, during which Sergeant Usman mobilized the vigilante group and seized and transported 518 cows and 177 sheep and rams belonging to the family.

“In the presence and with open eyes of our customers, Usman Bagobiri sold some of the cows to many people in their camp and later brought trailers and loaded the rest of the cows, sheep and rams and led them away to an unknown destination,” claimed him in the petition.

Bello said the same sergeant was extremely hostile to the family members, especially Abdussalam Haruna, who forwarded the initial complaint against the soldiers to the Basawa Barracks.

“Usman Bagobiri intimidates and harasses our customers. He openly said that since their cows are no more and their land is being taken away, our clients have to leave their village and move to another place. If they stay on their land, whatever happens to them will happen to them,” added in the petition.

The lawyer further stated in the petition that 300 of the cows were pregnant and could give birth at any time, which could increase the herd to more than 850.

He added that 100 sheep were also pregnant at the time and likely to give birth, increasing their numbers to at least 130.

He said this is likely to increase the number of sheep and rams from 177 to about 300.

He described the current state of the family as pathetic due to the “untold hardships and sufferings of our clients.

For our customers, animals are the most important source of livelihood.

“Our clients are law-abiding citizens and have never been involved in banditry, kidnapping or cattle rustling. Therefore, their settlement exists openly and peacefully among the larger Hausa communities around Fatika.

Bello, however, said that despite the intimidation and intimidation, his client had decided to resist the compulsion into crime and would pursue legal options to get back their livestock and farmlands.

“So far, after so much struggle, forty cows have been brought back by the Kaduna cattle station, who said the army had given them only 45 cows and five of the cows were said to have died, and none of their dead bodies were added to my client was shown by someone.”

He added that the 40 cows were returned on April 3.

“We request the authority’s assistance to urgently intervene and immediately return our clients’ cows, sheep and rams, and ensure that our clients’ family lands are returned to them.

“We also demand the payment of N500,000,000 as damages, compensation for suffering, hardship, fear and intimidation inflicted on our client by soldiers.

“Sir, should our client’s cows, sheep and rams be exterminated and lost as a result of unjustified seizure of the animals by the soldiers of the Nigerian Army, our clients are entitled to the payment of damages of N2 billion, together with the release of their agricultural lands.

“On the instructions of our clients, we seek the payment of N250,000,000 each as compensation for the killing of twelve (12) persons mentioned above, given the total of N3 billion.”

When contacted about this, Director of Army Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu said a full investigation into the matter has been launched.

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“Refer to your question. According to the information available to me, the investigation into the allegation is currently ongoing.

“The personnel involved have been taken into custody and investigations have begun and we have to await the outcome,” he said.