Thousands of Herdsmen and cattle on Wednesday , December 1 invaded Ogboko Ozuitem community in Bende local government area of Abia State, maiming farmers and destroying crops.
Though no official report has been released as to the actual number of casualties, one of the victims whose fingers were chopped off and now at the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, 40 year old Sunday Oru, said when news of the invasion was known in the community they went to see for themselves only to be attacked.
Oru who has fracture of the right radius, index finger cut off and lacerations in the face as a result of the attack said that some of the victims were also taken to Tochi Hospital in neighbouring Uzuakoli.
Oru said the herdsmen were uprooting cassava, cutting plantain and every crop on their way for the cattle including okra and vegetables.
According to him one of the farmers had gone to his rice farm only to see the herdsmen on his heap of harvested rice.
Overwhelmed by the number of cows the man ran back to announce the invasion in the community. He added that when the people went to see and to appeal to the herdsmen to leave they attacked them.
He said after he got the injury he was rushed to the hospital and therefore could not give account of how many people were injured or killed.
“They threatened to conquer and occupy the place if they ask them to leave, boasting that this
is one Nigeria.”
Secretary to the Abia State Government, Dr Eme Okoro who hails from the community has confirmed the incident.
He said, “three days ago I called the AIG to inform him of plans to invade the community. He promised to send the Commissioner of Police, I cannot tell what may have been the handicap of the police.”
“They are now behaving as if South East is a conquered territory.
“The Fulani man should know that crops are as important as their own cattle,”.
He said that it was regrettable that “the federal government has no coherent policy on cattle grazing in the south so that when the Fulani enter any community they should be given a place where they graze their cattle.”
“Now Ozuitem people have lost their means of livelihood, all the women who are okra farmers have lost their harvest,”.
He added that they even threatened to enter his own cassava farm of about three hectres and when he warned against it they told him that it was a forest area.
“We are humane and interested in the unity of this country but the Fulani man does not know but bent on destroying anything.”
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Ogbonnaya Nta, confirmed the incident.
He pointed out that the police was on top.