Security scare over foreign armed group in Sokoto villages

REPORTS of a strange group of foreign Fulani people armed with sophisticated weapons and recruiting youths into their fold in Sokoto State caused a stir in security circles on Friday.

While villagers who spoke to newsmen described the armed men as “suspected terrorists,” the Nigeria Police said they were herdsmen from faraway Mali looking for water for their cattle.

Nigeria does not share a common boundary with Mali.

Several local and foreign media organisations, including the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), quoted villagers on Friday as saying that the group had been in the area for two months levying taxes on villages and recruiting youths.

The group, said to be carrying sophisticated weapons, was reported to be in control of Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State, applying ‘strange laws’ and punishing defaulters.

A witness told the BBC Hausa Service that members of the group, believed to be foreigners, were in possession of assorted weapons, preaching Islamic teachings, forcefully collecting alms (zakat) and flogging defaulters.

He stated that although members of the group were yet to be identified by name, and had been in the area for more than two months, they were allegedly recruiting youths in a nearby bush.

After “training” them, they give them motorcycles, he said.

The witness, who pleaded for anonymity, said members of the group were more than 200.

He said they looked strange, spoke Arabic and wore turbans over their heads.

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“They imposed compulsory levies on each household with cows and rams. Those with cows are paying N500 and those with ram are paying N200,” he said.

“They are arresting and fining herdsmen who encroach on farmlands and are keeping the money.

“They are operating freely, scaring residents without being challenged. They are going from one community to another,” the witness said.

Tangaza Local Government in Sokoto State shares border with Niger Republic.

The border communities of the two countries inter-marry and are identical and speak the same dialect.

The Sokoto State Commissioner Police, Murtala Mani, told journalists on Friday morning that he was on his way to the area and would speak with the press later in the day.

He had yet to speak with the press as of the time of this report late Friday evening.

Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Jimoh Moshood, however, told Saturday Tribune  on Friday evening that the men were herdsmen from Mali who came with their wives and children and were looking for water for their cattle.

He said the men were just at the border area of the state and had left the place since Tuesday.

“I can tell you that I have spoken with the state Commissioner of Police. He told me there was no truth in the rumour that the men were terrorists recruiting youths,” Moshood said.

The spokesperson for the state government, Abubakar Shekara, confirmed reading the report but said he could not provide further comments.

In a related development, a federal police team, on Thursday night, repelled surprise attacks by bandits at Mahanga Forest in Birnin Mogaji Local Government Area of Zamfara State and killed 104 of the brigands in the process.

The team, which, however, lost a member to one of the attacks, succeeded in destroying 50 hideouts of the bandits in three camps and recovering over 500 cattle and 79 sheep from the suspected criminals.

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, had, on November 9, put together the Police Joint Intervention Team comprising about 1,000 personnel.