THE ASHANTI Regional Police Command has arrested five Fulanis in connection with the murder of Kwadwo Billah, a 58-year-old settler farmer who was murdered on Saturday January 14, 2011 in his residence at Mpenpesem, a farming community in the Agogo Traditional Area.

According to the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbillah, the five Fulanis who were arrested in the unannounced swoop were Mohammed Bashiru, 29, Osmanu Kaleo, 20, Abubakari Bukari, 22, Osmanu Bataru, 33, and Abubakar Mohammed, 33.

The farmer, who had five children, was in his house at about 8:00pm on that fateful day when some Fulanis approached him with the mission of buying cigarettes.

Realizing that the deceased was not willing to sell the cigarettes to them, the Fulanis, who were eating at the time, reportedly then requested water and as the deceased was going for the water, one of the Fulanis allegedly opened fire on him, killing him instantly.

As part of measures to calm tensions in the traditional area, the Ashanti regional police command on Tuesday organized a swoop in settler communities of the nomads and in the process arrested five of them.

Areas which were affected by the swoop were Abrewapun, Mpenpesem, Mukaila and Nyamebekyere among other communities of the nomads who were basically caretakers of herd of cattle.

According to the Ashanti Regional Police boss, when a search was conducted on Abubakar Mohammed after the arrest, a single-barreled gun, a machete and a sharp knife were found on him.

DCOP Timbillah appealed to the bereaved family to report to the Regional Police Command for an identification exercise to enable the police make a headway in their investigations, noting that the five Fulanis would be kept in police custody whilst investigations continued.

He stressed that the appearance of the bereaved family at the police command was essential in the investigations because when the murder was committed, some of the family members were around and would therefore be able to identify the alleged culprits.

The Regional Commander gave the assurance that the apprehended Fulanis would be put before court for appropriate sanctions to be taken against them immediately investigations into the matter were concluded.

DCOP Timbillah pointed out that the swoop, which was done in collaboration with some military personnel, was necessary because the police needed to do something urgent to calm the mounting tension in the area as a result of the killing.

The Regional Police boss entreated the residents to remain calm and desist from the practice of taking the law into their own hands and rather collaborate with the police to ensure that law and order were maintained in the area.

Disclosing that the police in conjunction with the military would organize regular swoops to curtail the perpetration of all forms of crime, DCOP Timbillah equally enjoined resident Fulanis to properly control their herds so that the animals would not destroy people’s farms.