Four in police net over murder of Niger village head
Niger State Police Arrest Four in Village Head Murder Case
The Niger State Police Command has apprehended four suspects in connection with the alleged murder of Bawa Barde, the 53-year-old Village Head of Zhilu in the Fuka District of Munya Local Government Area.
The arrested individuals, identified as Zegi Dogari, 48; Danjuma Galadima, 50; Bashir Umar, 32; and John Doma, 35, were taken into custody between August 25 and August 28 as part of an ongoing investigation into the incident.
According to Police Public Relations Officer SP Wasiu Abiodun, Barde was attacked in the early hours of August 23, at approximately 3 a.m., by assailants who inflicted severe machete wounds at his home. Police operatives from the Gwada Division were dispatched to the scene after a distress call was received around 7 a.m. Upon arrival, they found Barde in a pool of blood in his backyard.
Barde was transported to a nearby medical facility but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly conspired to carry out the attack on the village head following an intervention by Barde in a dispute involving Bashir Umar, who is described as the victim’s cousin. Tensions escalated after Barde warned Umar to allow a grazing route through his farmland.
The investigation also uncovered additional tension involving Dogari, a herbalist accused of having an affair with Barde’s wife. Dogari reportedly admitted to the allegation during police questioning and was instructed to pay a fine of 700,000 Naira.
The police reported that the various grievances culminated in a conspiracy among the suspects to assault Barde at his home, resulting in his fatal injuries. Authorities noted that Galadima is Barde’s brother, Bashir is his cousin, and the other suspects have familial ties to the victim.
The four suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Minna for further investigation and are expected to be charged with culpable homicide.
In a separate case, the police arrested three individuals for the theft of a cow in the Kateregi area of Katcha Local Government Area. Tukur Ado, 25; Musa Ibrahim, 42; and Isah Madaki, 50, were apprehended on August 25 when police surveillance operatives assigned to the Kpakungu Division intercepted a red Toyota Corolla suspected of transporting the stolen animal along the Bida-Minna Road.
The driver of the vehicle failed to stop for a search and attempted to flee, prompting a police pursuit that ended in the suspects’ arrest near Talba Estate Road, where the cow was recovered from the vehicle, which bore the registration number AE 889 KGK.
During interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to stealing the cow from the Kateregi area. The investigation into this case is ongoing.
