The Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU) has expressed worry on the mob activity on Sunday in Birnin-Gwari that resulted in the alleged brutal and gory killing of two ranchers.
“BEPU, a distinct and peaceful union is clearly against any form of mob action under any guise and is hereby warning citizens not to resort to taking laws into their own hands, irrespective of frustration and provocation,” said Ishaq Usman Kasai, chairman of the Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), in a statement on Monday.
It asked its inhabitants to constantly address their complaints to the proper authorities and to keep praying for divine intervention in the current state of instability.
The union praised the security forces for their accomplishments in cleaning up Birnin-Gwari and gave them the go-ahead to step up their operations in the nearby areas where bandits are now extorting “protection fees” and agricultural harvesting levies from residents.
While acknowledging that the lynching of alleged bandits is strongly condemned, the union voiced worry about the manner the incident has been covered in an effort to unfairly and intentionally characterize Birnin Gwari.
According to the statement, such deliberate selection presents a false picture of the situation and could put the lives of the defenseless, innocent residents of the Birnin-Gwari local government in peril.
The Union acknowledged the government’s commitment to looking into the incident and holding those responsible accountable, but it cautioned against officials making sensitive remarks in a hurry without carefully checking the identity of the suspected herders who were killed by a crowd.
According to the statement, data demonstrate that the lynched “herders” were actually terrorist mercenaries from the Republic of Benin and not herdsmen as had previously been fraudulently claimed.
According to BEPU findings, the suspected lynching took place after the suspects forcibly took a motorcycle from a farmer outside of Birnin-main Gwari’s town, the report continued.
BEPU is concerned to note that the government’s statement on the matter “did not equally capture the complete fact or express sympathy to innocent inhabitants of Birnin-Gwari who had been attacked at numerous sites.”
