Fulani Men Arrested In Abia For allegedly Planning To Rob Bank Customers

The new wave of criminality ravaging some parts of the North and Middle Belt may have spread to the heart of the South East region, as three suspected Fulani herdsmen were paraded by the Abia State Police Command for allegedly attempting to rob unsuspecting bank customers at Ohafia.

There have been allegations of robbery, attempted rape , and ritual killings leveled against herdsmen in some parts of the state especially around Lokpanta Cattle Market , as well as Okigwe area of Imo State.

Parading the suspects in Umuahia, Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu, said the armed herdsmen on a motor bike were nabbed by eagle-eyed police men around 7pm near a bank at Ohafia, where they were apparently laying siege on customers withdrawing money via Automated Teller Machines.

According to the police, the suspects who were observed making suspicious movements around the bank premises were closely monitored and later apprehended only to discover a short locally made pistol, some live cartridges and long knives hidden under their flowing gowns and suits.

In an interview with journalists, one of the suspects who managed to communicate in pidgin English as others could only speak Fulani, admitted ownership of the gun but said his intension was not to rob as alleged by police.

He said the gun was one of his tools as a cattle rearer and that they were around the vicinity to look for food, but police said herdsmen were not permitted to carry arms.