HEADMASTER ESCAPES DEATH FROM HERDSMEN IN BABIDI.By Sahid Umar

A Primary School Headmaster, Malam Usman DanAzumi, of Babidi Village, Ganye Local Government Area, Adamawa State, narrowly escaped death when he was attacked by two herdsmen who invaded his rice farm in Babidi on Friday, September 24, 2021. The farm became a grazing ground when he arrived that fateful day. Were it not for the prompt arrival of one Nurudeen Mohammed, from Wuro Daudu (Nalenpgasi) Village, he would have been a dead man as the two herdsmen who attacked him took to their heels when they sighted him approaching them on a motorcycle.

Earlier, the two herdsmen grazed and destroyed the farm and were caught by the Headmaster. When the case was reported to the Village head of Babidi 1, Jauro Dauda Yakubu, he did not take kindly to the herdsmen’s destructive behavior. After exhaustive negotiations, the grazers paid five thousand Naira (N5, 000.00) to the Headmaster for damages on the rice farm. Later, the same herdsmen went back to destroy the farm when the Headmaster caught them on Friday, September 24^th, 2021.

The Headmaster who was dumfounded by the behavior of the herdsmen asked them why they turned his farm into their grazing ground but they refused to respond. Again, he sought for the name of the owner of the cows, still he got no response. Later, the two herdsmen pounced on him and beat him to stupor and left him on the ground when they sighted Nurudeen Mohammed.

It was Nurudeen Mohammed who phoned the people of Babidi Village to rush and come and convey their townsman to the hospital for emergency attention as his life was in serious danger. The villagers rushed to the scene and immediately conveyed him to the General Hospital, Ganye, where he was on admission from Friday, September 24^th– Wednesday, September 29th, 2021, before he was discharged from the hospital.

Meanwhile, the case was reported to the Divisional Police Office, Ganye. It is significant to note that the crime was committed on Friday, September 24^th, 2021, and the case was reported to the DPO on the same day. However, the culprits were not arrested till a week later, on Thursday, September 30^th, 2021, when only one of them was brought to the DPO’s office. Till the time of going to press, the whereabouts of the other culprit is still unknown.

Investigations by this newspaper reveal lapses on the part of the DPO’s office. An attack on the Headmaster that almost cost him his life was treated with disdain as prompt arrests were not made to ensure justice, although the DPO, Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammed Yahya Nuhu, deployed his professional skills and brought the tense situation under control. He sent his officers to Babidi to investigate the case and summoned both the Acting Village Head, Malam Ismaila Salihu Babidi, and the owner of the cows, Alhaji Chiroma, to the DPO’s office. At the Police Station, Alhaji Chiroma was interrogated and asked to bring the two culprits identified by the Headmaster to the Police Station. The accused persons were Abubakar and Dauda; one of them is the son of Alhaji Chiroma while the other is his grandson.

At the moment, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) visited the scene of crime belatedly and reported back to the DPO and the case is set for prosecution in Court. Perhaps, the remaining culprit will be apprehended and will also appear in court.

Two years ago, Hamid Dauda Sebore Timkin was similarly attacked and killed by herdsmen in the same vicinity and till date no culprit has been arrested or brought to justice. The same dastardly fate would have befallen the Headmaster if Nurudeen Mohammed had not appeared at the nick of time and scared away the herdsmen.

Meanwhile, the people of Babidi gathered and protested on Saturday, 0ctober 2^nd, 2021, in the house of the Acting Village Head, Mal. Ismaila Salihu Babidi. They demanded the immediate removal of Alhaji Chiroma from their area; they complained bitterly that they never had peace since the herdsman settled in their midst. They said they gave him free land to settle, farm and graze his cattle. Now, however, their benevolence has not been reciprocated but rather brought attacks and destruction from Alhaji Chiroma and his family.  According to the Babidi community members interviewed, now they are tired of attacks and destruction; the herdsman responsible for their woes should peacefully leave their environment and seek accommodation elsewhere.

The Acting Village Head promised to deliver the message of his distressed people to the District Head of Bakarigoso, Alhaji Mohammed Adamu Gajere, for onward delivery to His Royal Highness, Gangwari Ganye, Alhaji Umaru Adamu Sanda, OON, FIAMN.