The Edo State Police Command announced on Saturday that a group of four hunters from Kano State was intercepted by the Edo Security Network while carrying arms and ammunition upon their arrival in the state.
In a statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Moses Joel Yamu, the need to clarify misinformation circulating on social media was underscored. Reports erroneously claimed that the hunters were four herdsmen armed with guns, allegedly arrested at a hotel in the state.
Contrary to these claims, it was clarified that the apprehended individuals, identified as Yusuf Abdulkarim, Mujaheed Garba, Shittu Idris, and Jamilu Habibu, were indeed hunters. During their interception, police recovered three Dane guns, six empty cartridges, three half-filled cartridges, four cutlasses, and two daggers.
The statement read: “The Edo State Police Command is aware of misinformation on social media that four herdsmen armed with guns were arrested at Americanus Hotel on Osemwenkhae Street after Big Joe Motors, Ramat Park, Orogbeni Quarters, and handed over to the police. The command wishes to inform the general public that four suspects: Yusuf Abdulkarim, Mujaheed Garba, Shittu Idris, and Jamilu Habibu, intercepted by a member of the Edo Security Network with three Dane guns, six empty cartridges, three half-filled cartridges, four cutlasses, and two daggers were swiftly taken over by officers from the Ikpoba Hill Police Station.”
“Preliminary investigation reveals that they are hunters, not herdsmen. They were from Doguwa in Kano State, heading to Uvbe community in Orhionwon Local Government Area of Edo State. Meanwhile, an investigation is ongoing. The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, wishes to use this opportunity to discourage residents of the state from circulating wrong information capable of causing unnecessary tension.”
In light of increased hunter migration from northern states to southern Nigeria, tensions have escalated, particularly concerning the safety of southern communities and agricultural lands. Many locals express concerns about armed hunters potentially threatening farmlands and exacerbating existing security issues. While these hunts are often justified as traditional practices for subsistence, they also raise alarms given the backdrop of increased aggression between herders and farmers in Nigeria’s complex socio-political landscape.
Such dynamics highlight an urgent need for dialogue and understanding between different groups to alleviate fears and misinformation that can fuel conflict. As southern farmers grapple with ensuring the security of their livelihoods, the implications of hunter migration down south echo broader challenges faced in the region regarding land use, resource allocation, and community safety.