Nigeria: 4 policemen killed in raid on Fulani area

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - At least four riot policemen were killed on Friday as security agencies raided a northeastern community in search of illegal arms, a spokesman said.

“We lost four of our men today in Numan,” Adamawa police spokesman Othman Abubakar told Anadolu Agency by phone.

“From our intelligence, we learned that some Fulani herdsmen were moving around with heavy weapons and security agents moved in to recover the arms, resulting in the attack on our men.”

Abubakar said no Fulani was killed and no arrest was made.

“Definitely we will ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice,” he added.

Local news outlet Premium Times quoted officials of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, a Fulani herdsmen umbrella body, as claiming that security officials killed two Fulani in Numan during a night raid on Thursday.

Numan has become the scene of violence in recent weeks following the killing of at least 30 Fulani women and children by some local militia, triggering tension and fear of reprisals.

Clashes between the herdsmen and farmers have become a major security issue in Nigeria, with the former now rated the world's fourth-deadliest group because of the killings blamed on the arms-bearing herdsmen.