PH Mundial – Port Harcourt Online Newspaper News Across The Region
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By Young Erhiurhoro, Warri
The recurring attacks on Uwheru communities in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State by suspected herdsmen, during every farming season, has again commenced in Agadama, Ohoror and other communities as this year’s farming season is gradually setting in.
Recent attacks on the communities, according to sources from Agadama community, which reportedly claimed the lives of over eleven young men, started when suspected herdsmen led their cattle to their community farmlands, leading to the destruction of crops like cassava, sweet potato, okro, groundnut, plantain and others.
One of the victims in Agadama community who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said: “Uwheru is an agrarian community. We are known all over the country as the producers of groundnut, sweet potato and cassava. Our people are mainly farmers. Farming is our means of livelihood here.
“These Fulani herdsmen have been troubling us over a decade now. Our leaders have written several letters to the Delta State government over their terrorist attacks many times and even the Federal Government is also aware. But they usually keep quiet for these herdsmen to slaughter us like animals. They don’t only destroy our crops but they also rape our mothers and our daughters. If you dare challenge them, the next action is to shoot you.
“Just few days ago, it happened as usual, and they raped some of our wives in the bush. This is abomination in our land. This prompted some of our youths to challenge them for the evil they are causing our people and our lands. Before they knew it, they opened fire at them and first killed six. Those that escaped brought the news home and many of the youths prepared to launch a reprisal attack on them. But our boys couldn’t get there before the herdsmen called the Nigerian Army and immediately more than six Hilux vans of soldiers, fully armed drove in and started shooting our people.
“For now, over eleven persons are dead and many others injured. The worst still, the corpses of those killed are hidden by them. We only found few out of the ones they killed. Properties worth millions of naira were also destroyed in the community. People fled the town as fear gripped everybody. My wife and children, including many others are seeking refuge in neighbouring communities. We will continue to shout and cry to the government to put a stop to these terrorist attacks on us every year,” he said.
In Ohoror community, one of the community leaders who refused to disclosed his name said, “It’s like we’re not part of Delta State or the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If we are, the government of the day can’t allow strangers to exterminate our communities and after destruction, they would come here in convoys to make sugar-coated speeches to our people. We have suffered long enough for our government to react to these terrorist attacks. I can now discover that we as a community are important to our politicians only in the times of elections. When they need our votes to come into power, then we are dear to them. In fact, we are being pushed to the wall now. If they can’t come to our rescue this time as government, then we are convinced beyond doubt that the government has cut us away from the rest of the people.
“Our leaders in government should stop selling our poor locals for these evil killers. We know that these every year attacks by these Fulani herdsmen have undertone. There is something behind it. To add fuel to already burning fire, the Army and every other security agency in this country belong to the Fulani herdsmen. Then, where are we if really we are citizens of this country? The leadership of the Urhobo Progress Union and all our representatives in government should rise now until these Fulani herdsmen will exterminate us completely from our own communities.”
Efforts to speak to the president general of Uwheru kingdom, Mr. Cassidy Akpedafe, and the traditional ruler of Uwheru kingdom, HRM, Agbaovwe Afugbeyah, Oyise 11, the Odion’Rode of Uwheru kingdom on the issue of terrorist attacks on Agadama and Ohoror communities proved abortive as the two leaders were reportedly absent from their residences in Uwheru town for the number of times our correspondent visited.
Port Harcourt Mundial could not get independent confirmation of the attacks and the number of possible victims as of going to press. But the state governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, last week bemoaned renewed attacks by suspected herdsmen in Avwon, Agadama, Ohoror, and other communities of Uwheru Kingdom, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state that had led to the death of over eight persons.
According to Okowa, suspected herdsmen, accompanied by unidentified armed personnel, attacked the communities in what has become an annual routine, killing over eight persons and injuring many others.
He said the crisis started on Thursday and as of Saturday, lives, and property, including farms, had perished.
The governor said, “The unwarranted attacks and killing of innocent locals in Avwon, Agadama and Ohoror communities of Uwheru Kingdom in Ughelli North Local Government Area and the wickedness of suspected herdsmen alleged to be aided by unidentified military personnel are mindless.”