The Interview Editors
Reprieve may be in sight for the residents of Toungo border community and its environs in Adamawa State as thunder storm has reportedly killed 18 suspected Kidnappers in Toungo forest while sharing largesse.
An official of Toungo Local Council who preferred anonymity confirmed to The Interview that the local hunters couldn’t retrieve the corpses.
“The bandits who gathered, had collected over N20m from their wealthy victims at a remote village between Koncha in Cameroon and Toungo in Nigeria.
“Angered by the incessant attacks by the kidnappers and who out of frustration some community leaders and victims consulted a native doctor to send thunder after the bandits.
“They met their waterloo when they gathered to share the money.
“For now local hunters couldn’t retrieve their corpses, money in bags, and their sophisticated weapons including AK47 ripples.
“Soldiers have gone there,” the local official said.
In the meantime, efforts to get the council chairman proved abortive as the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was not permitted to speak to journalists.
However when contacted on Friday morning, the Adamawa State police spokesman, DSP Suleiman Yahya Nguroje, confirmed the incident though he said the affected community is under Cameroon’s territory.
“Yes, we heard of it, that the victims engaged the service of local native doctor.
“But it was said to have occurred in the neighboring Cameroon’s territory which is not under our jurisdiction, so nothing Divisional Police officer can do. But Nigeria troops can do something because it affects territory,” Nguroje said.
He added that to tackle the menace of the cross border banditry plaguing the area if Toungo, Ganye, Jada and Mayo Belwa,” the police commissioners had asked DPOs and Area Commands to engage the service of local vigilante and hunters who know the mountainous terrains.”
