Mohamed Zurai, a member of the herdsmen killer-squad involved in the Nimbo massacre in Enugu State on April 25, 2016, has pleaded for legal support to appeal the death sentence imposed on him by Justice Anthony Onovo of the Nsukka Division of Enugu State High Court on May 17, 2023.
In an undercover investigation conducted by our correspondent at the Enugu Correctional Centre, where Zurai is awaiting execution, he expressed remorse for his actions but claimed that there were others involved in the operation. Zurai, who was arrested on May 9, 2017, along with four other suspects, was charged with murder for the mass killing in Nimbo.
During the trial, it was established that Zurai was the prime suspect, as his cellphone had recorded the Nimbo killings. Justice Onovo, in his judgment, convicted Zurai while acquitting the other suspects due to lack of evidence.
Zurai, in a conversation with our reporter, alleged that the massacre was in retaliation for the killing of an Alhaji with his head severed by the Enugu community. He claimed that while he was in custody, there were attempts to have him killed to prevent him from revealing details of the operation.
Despite admitting to recording the killings, Zurai denied directly participating in them, stating that his only role was to document the events. He expressed confusion over why he was the only one convicted when there were over 20 individuals involved in the operation.
Zurai requested the reporter's phone number to stay in touch and seek assistance in finding a lawyer to appeal his sentence.
