Fear has enveloped the people of Okporenyi
village in Bende community, Bende council
area of Abia State following a face-off with
Fulani herdsmen with threats by the cattle
rearers to attack the village any time soon if
their cows allegedly rustled by the villagers
were not produced.
According to a member of the village, trouble
started at the eve of Christmas when a group
of herdsmen suddenly surged up in the
village threatening to raid the village if they
failed to locate their missing cows.
The source said that after the warning the
herdsmen at the wee hours of the following
day invaded farmlands in the village with
their flock which destroyed a lot of crops.
According to the source, farmlands in the
village had come under incessant attacks by
cows of Fulani herdsmen but complaints by
the villagers had fallen on deaf ears.
The source further said that after few days,
the herdsmen came to the village again, this
time with some police men, alleging that they
were searching for one of their cattle rearers-
a little boy.
The source said, an attempt by one of the
villagers simply identified as Onyi to
exonerate the village from any involvement in
the whereabouts of the allegedly missing boy
earned him the wrath of one of the herdsmen
who gave him a machete cut in the upper
arm as he (Onyi) wanted to defend himself
against the attack despite the presence of the
police.
The source said the Police did not however
take it kindly with the invader as he was
seriously upbraided.
According to the source, the villagers are
now living in fear of imminent raid by the
herdsmen who have attacked some
communities in the Middle Belt as well as
part of Enugu state in the recent times over
grazing land.
The source said it was unthinkable for
landlords to live in dread of strangers in their
own land, and appealed to Abia State
government to quickly come to their aid.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations
Officer, Mr.Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed the
incident but said ” Police is on top of the
situation.”
The PPRO said talks had been initiated with
both parties with a view to resolving the face-
off.
He assured the villagers of full protection of
their lives and property but advised them not
to take the laws into their hands
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