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Nigerian soldiers deployed to Kaduna state were reported to have killed 74 cows at a Fulani camp at Riyawa village in Sabon Birni, Igabi Local Government Area of the State.

Daily Trust quoted a resident, Sanusi Bara, as saying on Monday that:

“On 17th November, 2018 at about 6:00am soldiers stormed a Fulani camp at Riyawa Sabon Birni area of Kaduna and killed about 74 cows. They also burnt down three houses and some crops that were harvested.”

“The soldiers came with one Hilux and a Tata lorry all armed with sophisticated rifles and a machine gun.”

Reacting to this, the Acting Director, Defence Information, Brigadier-General John Agim, in a press briefing on Monday, said the Riyawa area had been notorious as a den of bandits, cattle rustlers and kidnappers

He said: “Let me also address a recent allegation of killing 74 cows belonging to Fulani’s at Riyawa in Sabon Birni area. The Riyawa general area has been notorious as a den of bandits, cattle rustlers and kidnappers. Severally, troops had encounters with the bandits who use the difficult terrain and knowledge of the ground to escape. On 17 November 2018, based on intelligence, troops conducted a raid on bandit’s camps in the area. The bandits were alerted by their dogs.”

He said the army had observed that bandits used cows as a shield to escape while firing at troops saying “This was the case on 17 November 2018 which was not a deliberate act by the troops to kill the cows.”

“Gentlemen of the Press, our troops were recently deployed to restore and maintain peace in the recent Kaduna crisis, the proactive deployment, was applauded for its critical impact on preventing spread of crisis beyond Kaduna State. It is equally important to state that, as part of 1 Division’s Community Engagement Programmes (CEP) during Operation 777, medical outreach programme was carried out in Sayen Lemu Village in Zaria LGA. Worthy to mention also is the renovation of 2 blocks of class rooms recently in Sayen Lemu Village. As part of the CEP also, the troops in Kidandan area of Giwa LGA, Kaduna State now escort farmers to enable them harvest their crops. This is coming in the aftermath of recent bandits attacking and killing farmers in their farms in the general area.”