The group further revealed that the alleged lynching occurred after the suspects forcefully snatched a motorcycle from a farmer on the outskirts of Birnin-Gwari main town.
The Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU) has told the Kaduna State Government that the lynched herdsmen in Birnin-Gwari on Sunday were terrorists from Sudan.
It had been reported that two herdsmen were killed by a mob of disgruntled teenagers who suspected that the deceased were terrorists ravaging the community.
The group in a statement released by its chairman, Ishaq Usman Kasai, described the gruesome killing of the herders as unacceptable and advised the public to desist from putting law into their hand no matter the situation.
The group further revealed that the alleged lynching occurred after the suspects forcefully snatched a motorcycle from a farmer on the outskirts of Birnin-Gwari main town.
“The mob action by disgruntled teenagers in Birnin-Gwari on Sunday, October 2, 2022 resulted in the brutal and horrible deaths of two suspected “herdsmen,” which saddens the Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU).
“2. BEPU, a distinct and peaceful union, is adamantly opposed to any form of mob action, regardless of its cover, and is hereby urging the public not to resort to breaking the law, regardless of their dissatisfaction or provocation.
“People are reminded to constantly address their complaints to the proper authorities and, most importantly, to keep praying for divine intervention in the current state of instability.
“3. The union once more appreciates the efforts and successes recorded by the resilient security forces to sanitise Birnin-Gwari general area and calls on them to step up the operations in communities that surround Birnin-Gwari town where bandits are currently demanding and forcing communities to pay “protection fee” and crop harvesting levies, respectively.
“4. Clearly, while the lynching of suspected bandits is highly condemnable, the Union observes with deep concern the way the issue has been reported to selectively and deliberately portray Birnin Gwari in the bad taste, and targeted to prove a false narrative on the issue to endanger the helpless innocent citizens of Birnin-Gwari Local Government.
“5. While we appreciate governments resolve to investigate and bring perpetrators of this primitive act to book, we equally observe that, Government officials seem to be so in haste in issuing the sensitive statement without scrutiny of the identities of the ‘alleged herders’ that were lynched by mob action.
“6. Available records which BEPU are privy to, shows that, the lynched ‘herders’ were terrorists mercenaries from the Republic of Sudan. Therefore, the alleged lynched persons are not herdsmen as falsely reported earlier but international criminal syndicates that have been terrorising Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area ( ID cards attached).
“BEPU findings revealed that the alleged lynching occurred after the suspects forcefully snatched a motorcycle from a farmer at the outskirts of Birnin-Gwari main town.
“7. Therefore, BEPU is concerned to observe that, the statement issued by Government on the issue did not equally capture and commiserate with the innocent citizens of Birnin-Gwari that were attacked at different locations for the past five days.
“More so, on the same day when the mob action occurred, one driver was killed and scores were kidnapped at Dogon Hawa and Tabanni areas. This is in addition to killings and kidnapping of the innocent citizens of Birnin-Gwari on the roads, in farms and their homes which have become a daily occurrence.
“8. BEPU once more, appreciates the effort of security agencies towards restoring peace in our area and urged Governments officials in showing concerns to any ugly situation to always be in a cautious mood in issuing any statement that is capable of undermining the peace-loving, helpless people that are under siege by the terrorists. This is with view to averting further escalation of the situation.”