By Umar Akilu Majeri, Dutse
Unknown gun men have attacked a soldier on a mediating mission in a conflict between farmers and herds men in Guru Local Government Area of Jigawa State with bows and arrows, killing him in the process on Wednesday as a result of serious injuries he sustained from the attack.
The residents of the community said they suspected the herders who were in conflict with farmers in the area. Our correspondent in the area is on an independently mission to find out the truth of the matter.
Again, it was reliably gathered that after killing the soldier, his attackers took away his rifles.
According to an eye witness said, the soldier, Danlami Danjuma, who was a sergeant, was among the soldiers who responded to a distress call from Gagiya community, where herders were said to have enchroached into farmlands.
When contacted on the incident, the Local Government Chairman, Musa Muhammad, told our correspondent that the authorities, including the Fulani community leaders have condemned the act, and noted that they were in search of the suspects for their apprehension and to make sure the rifles are recovered.
He lamented that the victim died in active service to his father land, while on a mission to broker peace between the farmers and herders. “Unfortunately, he was shot three times with arrows, having various degrees of wounds which eventually led to his death”.
He went further, ” it is reliably gathered that the herders are in desperate search of pasture following the devastating effects of flooding on the grazing areas and farmlands”.
“The soldiers only rushed to the scene to address the brewing tension after herders encroached into farmlands”, the council chairman explained.