Gyang Bere, Jos
For three months now, nightmare has become the companion of 25-year-old Timbring Namkut who raped and strangled to death a Fulani woman who was taking her bath in a river at Gamnan village, Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Timbring who hails from Gamnan village said the breasts and shape of the 7-month pregnant woman, Zainab who was naked taking her bath at the riverside, attracted him. He claimed that any reasonable man who sees the Fulani woman naked couldn’t resist the temptation of having sex with her following the natural endowment she was blessed with.
According to him, the moment he sighted the woman, so many things were running through his mind. He claimed that a spirit was pushing him to go and grab her for sex while another spirit was telling him not to do that.
Timbring who got married in August 2018 and his wife carrying their first pregnancy, summoned courage and took the woman by surprise. He grabbed her from behind, removed his trouser and committed the abomination.
He claimed that after he penetrated her, the woman relaxed and was enjoying the sex but trouble started when he was about to finish. The woman grabbed his testes and refused to let him go.
He claimed that his victim held him hostage for several minutes while he was begging in pains, adding that the woman refused to free his two testes until he became afraid that Fulani men might catch him in the act. Timbring then took a decision that worsened the situation and compounded his crime. He claimed to have hit the pregnant woman in the neck while he fled on his bicycle as soon as she fell into deep water.
Villagers intervene
When Timbring arrived home panting, he became restless and decided to run to his grandmother’s house for safety but he was caught on the way by youths from the village who had launched a manhunt for him shortly after the news got to the community.
He was ordered to come down from his bicycle and taken to the police station on a motorcycle. The youths took him to Ajikamai Police Station where be was detained and subsequently transferred to the Divisional Police station in Shendam, Shendam Local Government Area.
Jungle justice
On that fateful day at about 8pm, while the police was trying to transfer Timbring to Mabudi Police station in Langtang South Local Government Area where the crime took place, the Fulani mobilized and attacked him at the entrance of the Station.
They beat and cut him with cutlass, leaving him unconscious in the pool of his blood. The police and other residents succeeded in rescuing him from being killed by the herdsmen. He was transferred to Mabudi Police station and now at the Police Criminal Investigation Department, Police Headquarters Jos for further investigation.
Spirit to blame
Timbring has confessed to the crime and told Saturday Sun that he indeed had sex with the pregnant woman. He claimed he was under the influence of a spirit, which pushed him into committing the abominable crime.
“I woke up in the morning on the 28 December, 2018 and I decided to fetch water for some people who were building close to my house. When I finished, I packed my clothes to go and wash them in the river but I decided not to wash the clothes again.
“I picked my bicycle and moved down to the river to hunt for rats and I saw a Fulani woman taking her bath naked. A lot of things were running through my mind, a thought came that I should go and beg her for sex but another mind said I should grab her without begging.
“So I decided to go and grab her from behind when soap was all over her face and I had sex with her. She was struggling to resist me but I was stronger than her, she had to allow me at some point.
“After I finished, she held on to my testes. I initially thought that she needed more sex but I later realized that she was angry about what I did to her. She held my tastes and was trying to break them, I was feeling the pains and I hit her on her neck and she fell inside the water and I ran home. I was told that the Fulani woman was 7-month-pregnant and died after the incident.”
Strange offer
Timbring, who got married in August 2018, had sent his wife to go and spend the Christmas with her parents. He claimed that there was nowhere he could get sex until he sighted the Fulani woman taking her bath.
He begged to give his pregnant wife in exchange to the husband of the late woman so he could be released from detention. His wife, Edi who sells local drink (Burukutu) has also agreed to marry the Fulani man if her husband would be set free from police net.
“I have a wife and I got married in August 2018. My wife is pregnant and she is not at home with me, I asked her to go to her parents during Christmas and she has not returned when the incident happened.
“I know that I am wrong and if the Fulani man had met me raping his wife, he will certainly not leave me; I would have been a dead man by now. The same way if I catch a Fulani man on my wife, I will deal ruthlessly with him. “I knew the Fulani woman, she usually come to our village to sell cow milk, I wasn’t admiring her but when I saw her naked I couldn’t resist her. I am begging for forgiveness, I plead with her husband to forgive me. I will give Edi my wife to the Fulani man if he is willing to accept her so that I can be free from detention.”
Police reacts
Plateau State Police Commissioner, Isaac Akinmoyede vowed that the Command would not give criminals a breathing space in the state. “It has been established that the kidnappers are not far from the communities and already we have gotten the profile of some of them through our intelligence network. Sooner than later, they will meet their waterloo.
The police boss pleaded with the families of those affected to share information with the police no matter the threat from the kidnappers with the assurance that such will be treated with utmost confidentiality.
He noted that after investigation, Timbring would be charged to court and duly prosecuted.