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| Herdsmen attending to their cows |
ABA—Traditional ruler of Abala community in Obingwa council, Eze Paul Ekwenye, has cried out to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu to save his community from Fulani herdsmen who invaded their farm lands.
The monarch told Vanguard that herdsmen numbering 10 with over 200 cows attacked some women in their farms, as well as traders from Akwa Ibom state who were on their way to the Orie market in the community. Eze Ekwenye who appealed to the state government to deploy security agents to the community which is a border town with Akwa Ibom State, lamented that his people would soon face starvation since they no longer have access to their farms. According to him, “For five days now, Fulani herdsmen invaded our farm lands; they attacked women who went to their farm.
Traders from Akwa Ibom state who were on their way to our Orie market said to me that they were also attacked. Some of the women said the herdsmen were shooting guns. We invited the Police, but the herdsmen ran away and came back when the Police left. There is tension in this community; every resident is afraid of his life and property. They have used their cows to destroy our crops. “This is the way they invaded Ukpabi Nimbo community in Enugu state and killed people.
We don’t want to be killed in our home. So, we are appealing to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu to deploy security agents to help secure Abala community.” Chairman of the Council of Village Heads, Abala community, Ndubuisi Sampson, who said he has warned the community vigilance group not to take laws into their hands, disclosed that some residents of the community have fled their homes and are now taking refuge at the Eze’s palace while others have relocated to their relations in neighbouring communities. Police Public Relations Officer, Abia State Police Command, ASP Ogbonnaya Nta, who had earlier denied the incident, could not be reached as at the time of filing this report.
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