The condemned member of the herdsmen killer-squad that massacred no fewer than 40 persons in Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani local government area of Enugu State on April 25, 2016, Mohamed Zurai, has pleaded for legal support to help him appeal the death sentence pronounced on him by Justice Anthony Onovo of the Nsukka Division of Enugu State High Court on May 17, 2023.
In an undercover investigation, made on the condemned criminal in Enugu Correctional Centre, where he is waiting for the hangman’s rope, Zurai pleaded that he needs a lawyer who could appeal his judgment, stating that he was sorry for his murderous act of April 25, 2016, but insisted that they were many that executed the operation.
Zurai was among the five suspects arrested by the state on May 9, 2017 for mass murder of citizens of Nimbo on April 25, 2016. They were charged with the offence of murder contrary to section 274 (1) of the criminal code cap 30 vol II of the revised laws of the Enugu State of Nigeria 2004. Zurai was the prime suspect whose cell phone was found to have recorded the Nimbo killings
Delivering judgment on the matter on May 17, 2023, Justice Onovo said: “In all, the only person who has been shown to have participated in the killing at Nimbo community on 25/4/2016 is the 1st defendant, Mohammed Zurai. He is hereby convicted as charged. The 2nd defendant (Alhaji Ciroma Musa) and the three defendants (Sale Adanmu) not having been found guilty are hereby discharged and acquitted.”
Confiding in our reporter at the Enugu Correctional Centre, weekend, Zurai alleged that the reason they went for the Nimbo massacre was because one Alhaji was killed with his head severed by the Enugu community. He further disclosed that many went for the operation but that he used his phone to do a video recording of the killings in which his image also appeared in the video as a selfie.
He disclosed that his sponsors wanted to kill him while they were in custody, and alleged that some persons were offered N300,000 to kill him in detention so that he would not live to tell the story of what happened but that the request was turned down.
Zurai who said they were over 20 that carried out the operation, however, denied killing anybody at Nimbo but said he was behind his colleagues and that his only job was to record the killings. He wondered why only him was convicted while his friends, who were arraigned with him, also participated in the operation.
He, therefore, pleaded for the telephone number of this reporter so that he could communicate with him afterwards since the reporter agreed to help him get a lawyer who would appeal his death sentence
