Police operatives have arrested a herdsman, identified as Abdulrahman Kaila, for cutting off a farmer’s hand for preventing his cattle from feeding from the victim’s rice farm in Plateau State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Lakushi community, Shendam Local Government Area of the state, where the victim owned a rice farm.
This was disclosed by the spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, who confirmed at the Police Headquarters in Jos that the suspect was in Police custody undergoing interrogation over his alleged conduct.
He explained that a video of the farmer holding his severed right hand with blood dripping on the ground circulated on social media last week.
The farmer, who was seen bleeding profusely, was then advised by the two men to go to hospital for treatment while they report the incident to the Police. The suspect was trailed and eventually arrested.
“We have arrested the suspect who chopped off a person’s hand. He is in our custody right now. We were able to arrest him through our intelligence network. So, it is not as if he surrendered himself willingly. It is our strategy at play and we won’t disclose it.”
“When Police got the news, the Commissioner of Police instructed the DPO to go after the perpetrator, and after a swift reaction by the DPO, the suspect was arrested and he gave us his reason for cutting the hand of the farmer.”
The suspect reportedly told the Police, “I was grazing when the farmer stopped me and asked me to go back as the area where I was grazing was a rice farm.
When I got back, he complained that his farm was destroyed by the cattle. I then pushed the cattle and before you know it, we started quarreling. While we were quarreling, I didn’t know how I cut off his hand. I did it out of my wish.”
The Police image maker, who did not disclose the name of the victim, stated that investigation has been concluded over the matter and the suspect will be charged before the Court for the alleged offence under the Criminal Laws of the State.