Photo Credit: Punch

Bauchi State Police Command has taken into custody a 15-year-old herder, identified as Adamu Ibrahim, on charges of cutting off a farmer’s hand. The incident reportedly occurred during a confrontation over encroachments onto the farmer’s land.

According to the statement by SP Ahmed Wakil, the spokesperson for the police command, the investigation uncovered that the suspect had repeatedly allowed his cattle to intrude onto the victim’s rice farmland, leading to several complaints made to the suspect’s father.

On August 24, 2023, the situation escalated when the suspect armed himself with a stick and a machete and entered the victim’s farmland, damaging crops of yet-to-be-determined value. A dispute arose, and upon being asked to leave, the suspect allegedly stabbed the victim and then proceeded to sever the victim’s left hand using his machete.

Responding swiftly, the Area Commander, Metropolitan, initiated measures to prevent further escalation and directed the arrest of the suspect. The victim was rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital in Bauchi for medical attention and is reported to be in stable condition.

Bauchi State’s Commissioner of Police, Auwal Musa Mohammed, issued a warning to herders, advising them to avoid encroaching on farmlands in the state. He further directed that the suspect be charged upon the completion of a thorough investigation.

Source: Punch