Family head butchered to death; wife, children, policeman escape being killed
Two brothers in police net

Confusion over ownership of cows has sparked a bloody attack in Kwara State in which a family head was butchered to death, while three members of his family escaped death by the whiskers. Sixty-year-old Panda Usman was killed, while his wife, Maryam, son, Sanni and daughter, Bilikisu were dealt machete blows over a conflict arising from mix-up of cows between two cattle rearing families in Gaa-Ahun Oro-Ago village near Omu-Aran, Kwara State. A policeman was also injured in the melee.

Kwara State Police Command has arrested two brothers, Kadi Ibrahim Isah and Bature Isah over the incident.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Agboola Oshodi-Glover told Sunday Sun that there had been a conflict between Kadi Isah and the late Panda Usman over a mix-up of their cows.

Oshodi-Glover said series of complaints had been lodged over the cows at the Oro-Ago Police Post and the police had tried to settle the misunderstanding.

The police commissioner stated that on the fateful day, Panda Usman found out that nine of his cows had strayed away and were being claimed by Bature Isah and his brother, Kadi.

Usman invited the community elders to intervene but the Isah brothers were not satisfied with the settlement.

Usman then headed for Omu-Aran Police Station to lodge a complaint and policemen moved in to arrest the elder of the Isah brothers, of Bature a.k.a Kato and detained him, while the younger, Kadi was away.

Kadi later learnt that his elder brother had been arrested and that Usman had threatened to ensure that he too was arrested.

Kadi went wild, storming Usman's home in Fulani camp at Oro-Ago Gaa Ahun about 7.00pm with a machete and butchered Usman to death, while severely injuring the man's wife and his two children.

Oshodi-Glover explained further that it was the Sarkin Fulani, Alhaji Bahago Adamu who rushed to Omu-Aran Police Station to report the incident.

“When my officers swung into action, Kadi Isah also rained machete blows on one of the policemen almost to the point of death. We had to rush the victim, wife and the children of the late Usman to the hospital where they are receiving treatments," he said.

The police boss added that the two brother suspects, Kadi and Bature Isah had been arrested and were being interrogated at the State CID Ilorin.

Kadi Isah spoke with Sunday Sun in police custody thus:"We have been having disagreements over cows with Panda Usman's family members. They always accused us of stealing their cows. We have been settling the crisis at the police station. Recently, there was another disagreement between us over nine cows.

“Usman went to the police station to report the matter and they arrested my elder brother and detained him in police cell. In the process my brother's pregnant wife suffered miscarriage and that prompted me to take a machete to hit Panda Usman to death. I also attacked the wife, son and daughter with the machete. They didn't die, but had injuries.
"I wanted to kill all the family because whenever we have a crisis over ownership of cows they used to threaten us with police. I didn't regret what I have done. I wanted to kill all the family and I have confessed to the police," he said.

Narrating her ordeal, widow of the deceased, Maryam Usman said,"It was about 7.00pm that Kadi Isah came with machete and killed my husband. He also stabbed me, my son, Muhammed Sanni Usman and my daughter, Bilikisu Usman and a policeman, Corporal Musa Sylvanus."

Mrs. Usman added that,"Kadi was determined to kill all the members of my family. When he hit me with the weapon, I thought I would die, but my son and daughter as well as myself were left with serious body injuries, which could have led to death.

“I thank Allah for being alive with my children. Even though my husband is dead, we are alive to tell the story."

The police commissioner assured that the two brothers, Kadi and Bature would face the full wrath of the law.