The Police in Pankshin Local Government Area of of Plateau on Wednesday arrested two suspects in connection with an alleged case of homicide in Gung Village.
The suspects are a man and his brother, who is a hunter.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered from eyewitnesses that the suspects allegedly shot a man with a Dane gun, who later died at the Panskhin General Hospital on Tuesday.
It was, however, also gathered that some residents accused the hunter (name withheld) of the offence while others alleged that it was his goat that mistakenly picked the gun with its horns.
“It was in an attempt to catch the goat and get the gun off its horns that it kept running until the eventual triggering-off of the gun which caused stray bullet that hit the deceased,” a witness said.
But the Pankshin Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr Sunday Okpo, confirmed the incident and denied that a stray bullet killed the man.
Okpo told NAN investigations had already begun into the incident.
“We have arrested two persons in connection with the ugly incident, including the hunter and investigations into the remote cause of the killing has begun in earnest.
“This is a clear case of culpable homicide; I heard people claiming that it was a goat that caused the death of the young man; it sounds so funny isn’t it?”
Okpo said as long as the police were concerned, the incident was a clear case of culpable homicide, which they were investigating to get to its root.
According to him, “As soon as we are through with our investigations, we shall transfer the case to the state CID for more investigation and prosecution.”
The DPO said he would hold a town hall meeting with hunters in the council.(NAN)