Fulani herdsmen justify shooting of soldiers

Europa

January 9, 2018 4:12 PM

Three military men and one policeman are currently on treatment at the Agogo Presbyterian Hospital after sustaining gun wounds during a shooting incident involving armed herdsmen.

Nomadic herdsmen in the Asante Akyim Agogo have been speaking over the decision to shoot some members of a military patrol team in the area.

This happened after the Police were engaged by some suspected Fulani herdsmen in Agogo in the Asante Akyem North District of the Ashanti Region, believed to have taken siege in the area.

The victims were part of a security contingent sent on operation to stop nomadic herdsmen and their cattle.

But in an interview with the dailyheritage.com.gh, the nomads accused the military of collaborating with local residents to secretly kill their cattle and sell to local ‘chop bar’ operators.

“If you want to be a criminal with license to kill and go free, then you have to join Ghana police or the army.”

“There were widespread news reports all over the media landscape that we have attacked and opened gun fire at a joint patrol of police and the military team leaving five of them critically injured, but nobody came to speak to us and I thank you for calling us now.

“Look, those security officers always collaborate with the boys here locals and go into the bush pretending to patrol and then when they see cow’s they will start shooting and killing them,” a Fulani man who identified himself as Fullo said.

“When they kill our animals, they will convey the meat into the Agogo Township by KIA cars and sell it to the local chop bars owners…tell me if the security people are not thieves and what do you do when the thief comes to steal,” he added.

Fullo said that the security operatives have been doing this since last December but no action has been taken against them.

“So yesterday after the soldiers went for their routine hunting for cows, we also laid ambush and opened fire on them in their own equal measures, then the media and the security officers stationed there diverted the issue and gave it a different headline,” he said.

Europa