Community deserted as herdsmen kill 10 people in fresh Enugu attack

Chibuzor Okereke, Enugu

The sleepy Umuoka community in Enugu State has been turned into a ghost village following a fresh attack by rampaging Fulani herdsmen.
Our correspondent learnt that no fewer than 10 persons were murdered during the late night attack.

A soldier, who reportedly came for a rescue mission, also paid the supreme price, with military authorities claiming that he was shot by the community’s vigilante and not the AK-47 wielding herdsmen.

Umuoka community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State is one of the communities that has been repeatedly attacked by herdsmen, with 50 persons killed in the last two years.

It was gathered that the latest attack was an alleged revenge mission over the killing of some cows by the villagers.

However, a source hinted that the cows were killed after the herdsmen had earlier murdered a woman and her child in a cassava farm.

The Chairman of Umuoka neighborhood watch group, Mr. Silas Onyeke told journalists on phone that trouble started when one of the village youths reported that the herdsmen had killed a woman and her child in the farm.

According to Mr. Onyeke, this angered the youths, especially those who had earlier lost their loved ones to the murderous actions of these herdsmen.

“We quickly mobilized and pursued after the killer herdsmen;

“We succeeded in chasing them away from the community when some men in military uniform also arrived.

“During the crossfire one of the military men was shot; we were surprised that they claimed he was hit by a bullet from our neighborhood watch group and among the community neighborhood,.

On the process of the fight ifeanyichukwu seriously sustained injury from sharp object because he was among the vigilante group that fought with a bittered heart and he had earlier lost his beloved father from the same Fulani herdsmen and he was triggered to deal with the persecutors before the soldiers arrived for rescue.

Soldiers returned back on 15th march and collected the names of vigilantes from the king of umuoka community (His royal majesty Dr. Augustine Alugwu) and killed all the vigilante watch group except ifeanyichukwu because he ran away immediately he got the news from the farm and when they reached ifeanyichukwu’s house he was not found, they burnt all his father’s properties including houses.

The chief of army staff in charge of the operation demanded that the king must provide ifeanyichukwu otherwise they will kill more people in his community and the king informed the police to help him in search of ifeanyichukwu wherever he is and promised to give them the sum of #4, 000,000 naira if they find him.

This is why our community is deserted, Government and fullani herdsmen is after us we don’t know what next they will do he lamented.