At least 10 persons, including a traditional ruler, the Onu Okewnu Agbenema, Musa Edibo and his wife have been killed in renewed and separate attacks by suspected herdsmen on Agbenema, Aj’Ichekpa, Opada and Iyade villages in Omala local government area of Kogi state.
The traditional ruler, who was said to be an aged man and his wife were said to have been burnt in their palace.
The attackers were also said to have burnt several houses including that of a former vice chairman of Omala local government, Adofu Stephen and that of his father were razed, while the administrator of the local government, Ibrahim Aboh, narrowly escaped the attack.
It was gathered that six people were killed in Iyade, two in Ajichepa, while the traditional ruler and his wife were killed in Agbenema.
Natives in one of the attacked communities said the attackers invaded the areas with sophisticated weapons and his in bushes around these villages from where they launched their attacks.
According to sources from the communities, the suspected herdsmen set the houses on fire and shut inhabitants that attempted to escape.
They added that the attackers also slit the throats of the victims, matchet and cut off vital parts of their body.
The incident was said to have commenced on Sunday evening and lasted till early morning of Tuesday following which hundreds of residents of the communities, particularly women and children have fled for fear of being killed.
Also, a former majority leader of the Kogi state house of assembly, Adamu Mohammed, said several houses were burnt in Agbenema, while two people were killed.
He lamented that the security operatives drafted into the communities were helpless as the assailants burnt houses and killed the people
He added that as at the time he was speaking on Monday evening, coordinated killings were still ongoing in various communities in the local government.
Another native of the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, regretted that the soldiers that were drafted to curtail the herdsmen killings allegedly refused to assist the locals to repel the attack.
He said, “We were surprised when we approached the soldiers who were stationed at the Guest House at Abejukolo for assistance, they refused to act professionally as they used their vehicle to block us from advancing to the troubled spot to help our people.
“It is clear that the aim of the Fulani 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 looks while we are being massacred.
“Right now the coordinated war is raging simultaneously in most villages in Omala, Dekina, and Bassa local government areas. Our people are being killed and houses burnt down l, 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 killing by these herdsmen, food insecurity will take over our land” they lamented.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), William Aya, said the headquarters was yet to be briefed by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), the Omala local government area.
Credit: Tribune
