Four in police net over murder of Niger village head

The Niger State Police Command has apprehended four individuals in connection with the alleged murder of Bawa Barde, the Village Head of Zhilu in Munya Local Government Area. The suspects, Zegi Dogari, Danjuma Galadima, Bashir Umar, and John Doma, were arrested between August 25 and 28 following an investigation into the killing.

Barde was attacked at around 3am on August 23 in his residence, suffering severe machete injuries. Police officers were alerted and found the victim in a pool of blood. He was transported to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead. The investigation revealed that the suspects conspired to assault the village head, alleging that Barde intervened in a dispute involving Bashir Umar, his cousin.

The situation escalated when Barde warned Bashir to allow a grazing route through his farmland. Additionally, Dogari, a herbalist, was accused of having an affair with the deceased's wife, which further strained relations. Galadima was the victim's brother, and Bashir was his cousin. The suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Minna for further investigation and are expected to be charged with culpable homicide. Separately, three suspects were arrested and a cow was recovered from them.