A traditional ruler, Musa Edibo (Onu Okenwu of Agbenema community) his wife and eight other persons were Monday killed while several houses burnt down by herdsmen in a renew attacks on Agbenema, Aj’Ichekpa, Opada and Iyade villages, in Omala Local Government Area of Kogi state.
The attackers who were said to be armed with sophisticated weapons hid in the bushes around these villages from were they launched deadly attacks on their targets.
According to the natives, the herdsmen mode of operation is to set the houses ablaze and opened fire on the fleeing inhabitants, slit their throats, machete and cut off vital parts of their victims.
Vanguard gathered from a source that the traditional ruler, his wife and another person were killed in Agbenema community while the other casualties were recorded in the other three communities.
Vanguard also gathered that the council’s administrator, Ibrahim Aboh escaped the attackers guns by the whiskers.
The source also said the security personnel drafted to curtail the herdsmen killings allegedly refused to assist the locals to repel the herdsmen.
“It is clear that the aim of the herdsmen is to kill us and take over our ancestral homes. They have razed down Ojuwo Ajomayeigbi, Iyade, Agbenema and Opada villages so that they could use our land for their cattle colonies.
“We want the world to come to our assistance before these fulanis exterminate and inherit our land. We have lost confidence in the security agencies posted to us, from their actions, we believed they have been instructed to adopt ‘siddon look’ while we are being massacred.
“Right now, coordinated war is raging simultaneously in most villages in Omala, Dekina, and Bassa LGAs . Our people are being killed and houses burnt down, even as our women are being raped while many children who ran from the theatre of war were still missing.
“Since the attacks begun, we cannot go to the farms even markets have closed. Hunger has come to stay on our soil. If drastic measures are not done to quell this mad killings by these herdsmen, food insecurity will take over our land,” he lamented.
It will be recalled that between last week Tuesday and Thursday, the Fulani herdsmen attacked five communities in Igala part of of the state killing not less than 50 persons.
Courtesy: VANGUARD
this really has to stop.