Ezhin community in Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State awoke to tragic news yesterday as they mourn the untimely death of one Abdullahi Idris Ezhin, a 41-year-old who was allegedly attacked and killed by a Fulani herder while attempting to protect his irrigation farm from intrusion by the assailant’s cattle.
Reports indicate that the confrontation occurred when Abdullahi refused to vacate his farm for Friday prayers, a time when herders often encroach upon the community’s farmland with their livestock. The assailant, reportedly accusing Abdullahi of stubbornness, assaulted him with a cutlass, resulting in his death.
In response to Abdullahi’s killing, enraged local youths reportedly took matters into their own hands, avenging his death by killing the suspect at the Vigilante Office in the area. The swift action prompted a response from the Divisional Police Station Lapai, mobilizing a Quick Response Operation led by the District Police Officer (DPO) to the area.
This devastating incident has plunged the Ezhin community into mourning, compounded by the fact that Abdullahi’s family has already endured a similar tragedy. In 2009, Abdullahi’s elder brother, Mallam Shuaibu Ezhin, also lost his life in a similar confrontation.
Despite efforts to obtain more information from the State police spokesman, no further details were available at the time of reporting. The community remains in shock and grief as they grapple with the loss of Abdullahi, a beloved member survived by his wife and nine children.
