Fulani herdsmen attack Abia community, farmers injured

Fulani herdsmen attack Abia community, farmers injured

- Fulani herdsmen reportedly attacked farmlands in Abia state

- They were confronted by youths who ordered them to leave

- The herdsmen attacked the farmers and fed their cattle with their crops

Fulani herdsmen have attacked Ozu Item in Bende council in Abia state forcing some people to flee.

Vanguard reports that the attacks left some farmers with life-threatening injuries as crops worth several thousands of naira belonging were also destroyed by the herdsmen and their cattle.

Dr. Eme Okoro who is the secretary to Abia state government and hailed from the community condemned the attack.

Some of the victims of the attack were taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Umuahia while several others were taken to private hospitals for treatment.

READ ALSO: Cattle breeders tell communities to collect numbers of herdsmen

Mr. Sunday Oru who is one of the victims had his fingers chopped off while his arm was fractured.

Oru claimed the herdsmen invaded their farmlands and destroyed their rice, cassava, okro and plantain which were later fed to the cattle.

He said the farmers had ordered the herdsmen to leave when they invaded their communities but they refused and attacked them.

He said the herdsmen “vowed that instead of being expelled from our community, they will conquer us and occupy our community.”

The farmer revealed that the herdsmen had invaded a rice farm earlier but were forced away by the youths before they returned in full force for another attack.

He said: “We are not civil servants. We are farmers and our crops are very important to us but the cattle are destroying everything.”

READ ALSO: Presidency sets up committee to stop Fulani herdsmen attacks

Nta Ogbonnaya Nta who is the spokesperson of the state police command confirmed the attack but said the police was on top of the situation.

Dr Okoro said: “There is no Bende community that the Fulani herdsmen have not invaded. Ozu Item has come under attack by Fulani herdsmen”.

He said he alerted the police a few days before the attack but said he wouldn’t know “if the police are handicapped” as the attack was eventually carried ougt.

Source: Legit.ng

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