Video on Armed Herdsmen Arriving Asaba Fake, Says Delta Police

The police in Delta State have debunked reports especially on social media that some Fulani herdsmen had landed in Asaba, the state capital, carrying firearms.

According to report which has already gone viral, the herdsmen allegedly entered Asaba last Sunday via River Niger with three speedboats laden with firearms.

Some unknown persons, however, posted a video clip of the herdsmen as the arrived Asaba in the three speedboats, allegedly offloading the suspected firearms at the Asaba side of the Niger bank.

However, the police stressed that the report was false and advised members of the public to disregard it accordingly.

While admitting that some unidentified Fulani herdsmen actually arrived Asaba in three speedboats last Sunday, the police in the state explained that contrary to the said social media report the boats were used to ferry cattle from Kogi State to the Delta State capital. 

A statement issued on Wednesday evening, by the Delta State police command spokesman, Mr Andrew Aniamaka, a district superintendent of police (DSP), read in part, "The attention of Delta State Police Command has been drawn to a video circulating on the social media to the effect that some Fulani herdsmen have arrived Asaba by three flying boats through the River Niger and that they were seen with suspected firearms. 

"The Command wishes to state that on January 21, 2018, at about 3p.m., some herdsmen arrived Asaba bank of the River Niger in three flying boats with their cattle. On receipt of the information, members of the Committee on Herdsmen/Farmers recently inaugurated by the Police Command, led by its chairman Chief Cassidy N. Iloba, Senior Special Assistant on Security to the State Governor, interrogated the herdsmen, and thereafter they returned to Kogi State where they came from.

"It is necessary to clear that none of the herdsmen was found with firearms. One Alhaji Katti, who has been a resident herder in the area for the past three decades, is the only one remaining there. He has however been warned and bounded over not to harbor any migrant herdsmen forthwith."

The statement further assured that the police will continue to work towards peaceful coexistence among the people in the state irrespective of ethnic or cultural differences.

It said that "the Command, in conjunction with Herdsmen/Farmers Committee is working assiduously towards ensuring peaceful coexistence between herders and farmers in the state.

"While advising the public to be vigilant,  the Command calls on any person with credible information about any threat to security of any kind to furnish the police or other security agencies with such information instead of using the social media to cause unnecessary panic amongst the people."

The new Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr Muhammed Mustafa, who succeeded Mr Zannna Ibrahim, assumed duty barely a few days ago and has promised to tackle frontally the various crimes bedeviling the state, including armed robbery, kidnapping and criminal Fulani herdsmen menace.
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