ANAMBRA MURDER: Suspected killer, 2 others in our custody are Igbo, neither Fulani nor Northerners ― Police

*Condemns media carriage of “mischievous sensational” reports misrepresenting actual occurence

By KEMI KASUMU

Another fake news from South East Nigeria linking Fulani doing business in the region to killing of Igbo people has been busted as related media reports, saying Fulani herdsmen lured a man to the forest and killed him under the guise of selling a cow to him, were debunked by the Anambra State Police Command.

The fake news

Earlier, The Nigerian Tribune online had linked the murder of the man it called ‘Energy’ with Fulani in its earlier Friday report headlined, “Police Arrest 3 Herdsmen For Killing Man In Anambra Forest”, citing a viral video. It went further to say that it was observed that ‘Energy’ had contacted a truck driver to take him to the Fulani herdsmen camp, which was said to be in Aguleri forest.

According to the Tribune’s report, the truck driver, who spoke in a video, said: “We were on our way to see the cows, but we noticed we were going into the bush, and I may not have anywhere to reverse my vehicle.  I told the Fulani herdsman, but he insisted we should keep going. We had just driven ahead a little when up to 10 herdsmen came out of the bush with guns and attacked us.

“They grabbed me and my brother, and Energy ran away. They pursued him, and some were taking us into the bush.  Later, my brother broke away and started running, so when they pursued him, I found I was alone, so I ran to my vehicle and escaped. We later came back and found that Energy had been killed,” the man narrated.

The media report went further to claim the state police command confirmed that the incident happened in Aguleri, and that three Fulani men have been arrested in connection with the killing.

It added that: “DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, spokesperson for Anambra State Police command told our correspondent that the investigation has commenced, and further information would be communicated to journalists. Villagers in rural parts of Anambra have commenced a campaign, however, warning indigenes to desist from following Fulani herdsmen into the forest to buy cattle in the belief that it is cheaper.”

Truth of the matter

But when called on the telephone for clarifications, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, denied ever confirming “such mischievous story to any Journalist”.

Speaking to The DEFENDER from Awka, the PPRO  said on Friday that there was a case of murder but that the suspected killers were not Fulani as claimed in the report. He mentioned medium, Crime Channels as also responsible for the fake news.

On how Journalists claimed he confirmed Fulani as the killers he said, “I’m surprised. It’s from Crime Channels. I have called their editors and they said they can’t trace the guy and he never called me. I don’t even know him. I don’t know where he got the information from. Among all the publications they did, he is the only person that said he called me and that I confirmed. I didn’t get any call from him.”

On the video, he said: “Don’t mind them. That video that is in circulation, they are very sensational.  In the video that is circulating they mention that it is herder that killed the man. The thing is not even a herder. The suspect we have in custody is one Augustine and he is an Igbo man. The two other persons that claimed that they went with the guy to the bush can’t give satisfactory answer. They were just trying to conjure story,” SP Ikenga told The DEFENDER.

The Command Spokesman, while debunking the report earlier, had reportedly clarified what truly happened and named who the report called ‘Energy’ as Uchenna Aniebonam, 50 years old and place he was killed as a forest at Umueri as against Aguleri reported.

He said: “The three suspects in custody over this unfortunate incident are neither herdsmen nor from the northern part of the country,” adding that the claim by the online platform “is a mischievous and sensational reaction by the publisher to achieve his selfish desire from the unfortunate incident”.

He said: “To set the records straight, on 10/8/2022 at about 6:55 pm, Police operatives arrested one Augustine Ndife, 40years, recovered two empty shells of expended cartridges, two lighters and other incriminating items in Umueri.

“The arrest follows the alleged murder of Uchenna Aniebonam, 50 years in a forest at Umueri.

“Preliminary information reveals that the late Uchenna in the company of his two friends came under attack by some persons as they went to buy cows from the dealers in the bush.

“Further Interrogation and investigation by the Police indicted the two friends of the deceased who accompanied him to purchase the cow. They could not provide satisfactory answers on the particular person they have been doing the cow transaction with for the past one month.”

SP Ikenga Tochukwu, Police Public Relations Officer, Anambra State Command, said “investigation is still ongoing.

“The command, however, sue for calm and described the mendacious publication as unfortunate and one that is capable of misinforming and misleading the general public. The command also warned the originators and peddlers to desist forthwith, as they will not be spared if apprehended.”