SUSPECTED Fulani herdsmen have reportedly hacked five
farmers to death in two separate attacks in Abraka and Obiaruku, both in
Ethiope East and Ukwuani L Southern City News gathered that the incident
happened between Tuesday and Wednesday last week when the communities were
allegedly attacked by the herdsmen who had been having a running battle with
farmers in the areas over the destruction of their crops by cattle.
The incidents, which have reportedly sparked tension between
local farmers and herdsmen in the state, claimed the lives of four males and a
female as more residents in the state called for the ejection of the herdsmen
from their lands.
According to a source, two of the victims, who were cousins,
Akpovona Felix and Sunday Akpupu, were indigenes of Eku community residing at
the Delta State University host community of Abraka.
It was gathered that two of them were killed in their farms
as their lifeless bodies were discovered there on Wednesday. It was learnt that
they had gone to the farm on Tuesday but failed to return home.
The deceased were said to have refused to allow herdsmen to
graze their cattle on their farms.
Their corpses were recovered following a search on Wednesday
afternoon in a bush said to be very prone to herdsmen attacks.
Akpovona, a father of five, was said to have been shot by
the herdsmen while his brother was hacked to death and his fingers cut off.
The second incident happened in a farm around a forest
reserve along the Abraka-Benin road, a boundary area between Urhoka-Abraka and
Obiaruku. It claimed the lives of two males and a female.
The victims, according to sources, were indigenes of
Obiaruku community.
“They had gone to the
farm last week Tuesday and when they did not return, the next day, a search
party sent to look for them found their lifeless bodies at separate locations
by a river bank near their farm,” Progress Aganbi, a native of the area,
narrated.
The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Andrew
Aniamaka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, confirmed that there were clashes
in the two areas, but could not immediately confirmed the number of casualties.
Aniamaka added that security had been beefed up to prevent
any form of reprisal, urging residents and herdsmen in the area to maintain the
peace.ocal Government Area of Delta State.
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