Six feared killed in suspected Fulani herdsmen’s fresh attack on Delta community

 Six persons have been reported feared killed in a fresh attack allegedly launched by suspected Fulani herdsmen who had been on the rampage in Obodogba community, Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State.

Reports said that the incident which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, had unsettled the entire Okpanam community, particularly Obodogba Quarters where residents’ farms’ crops worth millions of naira were destroyed by the herdsmen’s cows.

Although the police image maker in the state, Mr. Andrew Aniamaka denied the incident as untrue, but the Ugoani-in-council, in Okpanam who confirmed the incident, disclosed that a petition had been written to the State Police Command, Headquarters Asaba over the alleged invasion of Obodogba community’s farmlands by the suspected Fulani herdsmen, saying that the invaders have in the process started erecting permanent structures for permanent occupation apart the alleged attack on the residents where six persons were feared dead.

In the petition dated September 29, 2019, signed by the Acting Secretary, Ugoani-in-council, Okpanam, Mr. Mathew Okafor, a copy made available to our reporter, part of it with filled: “invasion of Obodogba farmland by Fulani herdsmen, and forwarded to the Area Commander through the Divisional Police Officer, (DPO) Okpanam Police Division, stated that “when officers and men of your division visited the site on 28^th September 2017, you successfully dispersed them, but they later regrouped.

This time, with members of their family and personal belonging in readiness to negotiate their occupation of the farmland, and or fight to a finish should they be asked to vacate.”

The petitions further stated that “with all sense of responsibility that a general meeting of Obodogba community was convened on 29^th September, 2017 to deliberate upon this dangerous scenario, and they resolved in unison that the herdsmen must vacate their farmland, if for nothing else, but their renewed pen chart for the destruction of their farm produce which is their source of sustenance.”

Investigation revealed that since  the alleged fresh attack on the Obodogba community people, there has been fear of the unknown with thick palpable concern by elders of the community.

It was reliably gathered that trouble reared its ugly heads on Wednesday evening when some residents of Obodogba community “smelt a rat” of trouble with the herdsmen who allegedly invaded their farmlands to destroy their crops with their cows.

This, it was further learnt, Prompted the people to have challenged, the invaders, instead, they were said to have threatened to kill the people with their daggers, only to resurface in the early of Thursday at the same farmlands where the fight allegedly broke out that left six persons feared killed.

Police officers at the Okpanam Police Division who did not want their names in the print, said two of the herdsmen were arrested, adding they currently helping the police for further investigation.

Although they refused to speak on those allegedly killed, but one of them managed to say: “the attack was very bloody and some persons killed in the process.”