The state government set up a panel of enquiry to investigate the crisis and invited the six young people from the community to help with the investigation but were arrested by the police and are still in police custody.
Director General, Centre for Justice and Ethnicity in Nigeria, Pastor Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa, has alleged that some youths of a community in Adamawa State are being victimised by the police for an offence committed by some Hausa/Fulani youths on a Christian community in the state.
He told SaharaReporters that in May 2020, some Hausa/Fulani youths attacked the Tingno community in the Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State and burnt down over 200 houses.
Dikwa said 18 of the perpetrators with firearms were arrested by the police but were released in October 2020.
He said the state government set up a panel of enquiry to investigate the crisis and invited six young people from the community to help with the investigation.
The cleric, however, alleged that the community youths invited by the panel were arrested by the police and are still in police custody.
He said, "There is a community in Adamawa State, Tingno; it's a Christian community under Lamurde LGA. On May 15, 2020, Hausa/Fulani youths invaded the community and burnt down over 200 houses.
“In Anguwan Tingno Dutse community, they burnt 83 houses; in Anguwan Mission Tingno Dutse community, they burnt 57 houses; in Anguwan Abuja Tingno Dutse, 38 houses were burnt; 30 houses were burnt in Anguwan Badawa Tingno Dutse and 15 houses were burnt in Anguwan Bagyashi Tingno Dutse. The total number of houses burnt is 223.
"They also looted the houses of some people. The police arrested 10 of the Hausa/Fulani youths responsible for the crisis with firearms; eight others were caught with stolen items. Those arrested for burning the houses are: Tatata Garba; Dan Woma Ango; Manu Kwana Aiki; Jamilo One Dola; Kalari Bobo; Sule Yanka; Shefu Ango; Nabuba Balahalara; Sani Garba and Babajika Saidu.
"Those arrested with stolen properties are Dan Asabe Photographer; Ali Kaura Takari; Garba Bulldozer Takarai; Bala; Ishaka Sarkin Samarai; Honga Dan Tingno; Baba Audu; Hassan Mai Welda and Garba Mai Paskari.
"Six Christian youths invited by a panel of enquiry set up by the Adamawa State government to investigate the crisis came to testify but they were arrested and are still in police custody till date. The names of the Christian youths that were arrested are: Luka Elisha, Monday Salisu, Rapheal Isuwa, Danbana Gwanda, Nelison Joel, and Aminu Haruna."
He alleged that several similar incidents are happening in the North but do not get reported by the media.
Dikwa said he had been in Abuja since December 2020 to try to secure the release of the innocent youths but that all his efforts had been in vain.
"So many evils happen in the North and no one gets to know about them. Even the media has been silent," he said.