How attack on Agojeju left 18 dead, houses burnt

 

For villagers and residents of Agojeju, a boundary community between Omala and Dekina LGA of Kogi State, Monday, November 9, 2015 was a nightmare.

 

 

On the fateful day, persons identified as Fulani herdsmen in large numbers descended on the residents this community, burnt down their houses and left over 18 persons dead, including women and children. Numerous others managed to escape with various degrees of injuries.

 

 

Before this time, two men working on their farms were butchered into pieces by the same attackers at Obakume, a nearby village, and also a man and his pregnant wife were found dead in pool of their blood in their farm within the same month. The villagers lamented that incessant attacks and killings by the same herdsmen has become like a tradition without much assistance coming to them.

 

 

The residents of these communities from Agojeju, Agbenema, Ajolo to Abejukolo down to Bagana have been running helter-skelter looking for a safe place to hide for fear of being hacked down in the next attack.

 

 

 

Over 95% of people living in these communities are peasant farmers but could not visit their farms for several months. Feeding became very difficult and life unbearable for residents of these communities, according to the village head’s narration to Abuja Metro.

 

 

 

The community leader, Chief Festus Ada also lamented that despite all these, no arrest have been made, even with the presence of the military on patrol within Omala Local Government. “Even today, some months after the last attack, the villagers are still running from homes for cover, looking for a safer dwelling place and finding none. Some who have relations in the urban areas have already relocated, living those who have nowhere to go at the mercy of God.

 

 

 

He also noted that thousands of residents have abandoned their l homes for fear of another attack nobody knows when it would be.

 

 

Travelling along that same route has become a very risky journey, according to him. Also, Mr. Adams Martin, a native of one of the haunted towns and resident in Abuja further narrated what he witnessed as he travelled to his hometown to witness what happened after he got phone calls from his people.

 

 

He told Abuja Metro that: The market women who always take their wares to Bagana market, one of the largest markets along the River Benue in Omala LGA of Kogi can no longer go to buy or sell because the market was burnt down early this year.

 

 

 

“Indigenes of these communities are calling on the federal and state governments to quickly as a matter of urgency find a lasting solution to this lingering problem because we are known to be peace loving people and don’t know where we got it wrong. The communities can’t understand why these poor farmers would not have the freedom to work in their farms; where people cannot sleep and close their eyes; where children can no longer go to school because they have been internally displaced from their communities; and market women can no longer go about their businesses?