Zure, who is currently in custody at the Kogi state police command, reportedly told the Punch that the attack was planned in Kogi state, disclosing how members were recruited from different parts of the country to carry out the attack.
Recall that the rampaging herdsmen recently attacked Nimbo community, Uzo- Uwani local government area of Enugu state, killing about 50 people.
Zure was said to have been arrested after the police reportedly stumbled on a gory video of the Enugu massacre on his phone.
A police source, who pleaded anonymity said, “Zure was granted bail and because he needed someone to take him on bail, the investigating officer decided to switch on his phone.
“Out of curiosity, he decided to go through the content of the phone. It was in the process that he discovered horrible video clips of a murder scene.
“Everything changed immediately and he was taken back to the interrogation room where he later confessed that he was the one who took the video while they were slaughtering one of the victims during the Enugu killings.
“In the video, you could hear him shouting and saying in Hausa ‘I have killed you now. You think that you can kill Fulani herdsmen and go free’.
“He personally took the picture to show his family members that he was actually successful and participated in the killings,” the unnamed police source added, noting that Zure also confessed that over 100 Fulani herdsmen were recruited for the Enugu attack after being invited from over six states from across the federation.
The source continued, “He confessed that they were more than 100 and were selected from different states especially from Taraba , Kogi, Benue, Nasarrawa , Kastina , Niger and Kaduna states.
“He claimed that the people of Nimbo had killed so many of their people in the past and government did not do anything about it, adding that they also reported severally to Nimbo elders but they refused to investigate, that was why they decided to retaliate.
“Zure alleged that their people in Nimbo shared Kolanut to all cattle rearers across the country. What it signifies is that there is going to be an attack and everyone should send representatives to support them.
“The suspect alleged that this is their custom and has been existing. He was nominated to join them because he was born and raised in Enugu by his father who is also a herdsman,” the police source added.
Speaking further, the police source said two days before the attack, the suspects all gathered in a community in Kogi and perfected how they would execute the attack.
“The police has since commenced serious manhunt for the fleeing herdsmen who they believe have fled the eastern state since the attack,” the source was quoted to have said.
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