Damongo Residents Hunt Down Fulanis

Residents of Damongo in the West Gonja District of the Northern Region have waged a relentless war on Fulanis in the area after travelers from Kontouri, an illegal mining community, were attacked and robbed by seven armed men believed to be Fulanis. Daily Guide gathered that the victims, about 40 in number, were travelling on a Kia truck with registration number AW 1451Y to Damongo, the district capital, when the bandits intercepted them at gunpoint and robbed them. According to some of the victims, the robbers, who were seven in number, were wielding life-threatening weapons including machetes, AK47 assault rifles and daggers, which they used in robbing the travellers. Other travellers on motorbikes who used the same road were not spared the ordeal as their money or mobile phones were taken from them. Most of the victims claim the Fulani robbers reportedly injured Manbi Mumuni when he engaged one of them in a fierce scuffle in an attempt to protect his money and mobile phone. The victims claim that the miscreants, after successfully robbing them, run into the nearby bushes amidst gunshots to scare persons who might try trailing them. News of the robbery attack, on reaching the youth of Damongo, made them furious, leading to a manhunt for Fulani residents in Damongo and its surrounding communities. Any Fulani who was seen was attacked and chased away with the claim that they were all thieves perpetrating crime in the area. A motorbike belonging to a Fulani who ran away from the angry youth after he was chased, was burnt beyond recognition while all Fulanis in the area were declared unwelcome in the area. Police in the area confirmed the robbery to Daily Guide but hinted that investigations were underway to identify those behind the attack. They cautioned residents to remain calm while the security services did their work. They disclosed to Daily Guide that the injured person is on admission at the Damongo Government Hospital but indicated that he may soon be discharged as the injuries sustained were minor.