Philemon Leha, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), has been accused by a community in Adamawa State of unleashing hell on members of the community, according to SaharaReporters. The community also claimed that one Kennedy Dauda, a retired Permanent Secretary in the state had also allegedly committed personal resources in fuelling the attacks on the community.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, a delegation of “Dingle Uboh Clan of Mayah” in the Demsa Local Government Area of the state alleged that attack was carried out on the instructions of Leha and Dauda who are leaders “Wanela Wagowang” Clan in the area. The community averred that the retired DIG Leha and Dauda supplied weapons to youths and ordered them to shoot sporadically at the community because of disputed farmlands.
The spokesperson for the community, Chindo Hebron, pleaded with the state governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, to intervene by constituting an investigative panel to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack.
He said, “The recent attack on our community left eight people severely wounded due to matchete cuts and gun shots; hence our decision to seek the help of the media.
“From our investigations, we have sufficient evidence to believe that Mr. Kennedy Dauda and DIG Philemon Leha (rtd) of ‘Wanela Wagowang’ Clan are the forces behind the attacks.
“As I am addressing you now hundreds of our women, children, and the aged have been displaced from their fatherland because they do not have someone to fight for them as they neither have connection nor the resources to stage reprisal attacks.”
He further alleged, “The leader of the rampaging youth, Nehemiah Garba, has been using guns to threaten their youths, saying that they were also aware how Mr. Kennedy often bail him whenever he is arrested by the police and how he frustrates any plan to charge him to court for prosecution.
“A documented fact is that the large farmland which is the subject of contention is situated in Dingle community and has been under the control of our family for decades before the ‘Wanela Wagowang’ Clan arrived after escaping from crisis in their native land to settle in our community.”
Spokesperson for police in the state, SP Suleiman Nguroge has confirmed the incident saying, “The Commissioner of Police, SK Akande, has deployed men to restore order, to prevent further escalation of the crisis and also ordered an investigation into the matter so that the law would take its course.”
