Suspected Fulani herdsmen have again attached Ogbeke-Agbani community, in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The incident, which happened on September 28, 2019, left the community in deep sorrow.
This is the second time the herdsmen would be striking in the area within a spate of two months.
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 the Ogbeke-Agbani neighbourhood watch group, Mr. Silas Onwe told journalists that trouble started when one of the village youths, Uchenna Nwobodo Johnson reported that the herdsmen had killed and a woman and her child in the farm.
According to Mr. Onwe, Uchenna resides in Enugu metropolis but always comes to check on his father’s man. The father is late, so, he is the one taking care of the farm.
“So, he is the one that witnessed the incident that led to this attack on our village and the killing of his mother.”
Speaking to journalists on the phone, Uchenna who could hardly control his tears said his mother was butchered like a fowl.
He said he was already in Lagos making effort to escape for his life, which he said was still under threat.
“I came to the village to go to the farm, which was in the early morning of 27th. I was to go with my sister but my mum said my sister should come later so that she will bring food for me
“As I approached the farm, I heard a woman crying, ‘you want to kill me because I told you to carry your cow out of my farmland?’
“When I heard it, I was shocked, I got close to know why the woman was shouting, I saw that Fulani herdsmen had already tied the woman with rope.
“As I approached, they killed the woman, they were about killing the little child with the woman, then I shouted, they stabbed the child and started chasing after me.
“They chased me till I got into the village, they turned back. I now called the vigilante group, because every young man in our village is a member. We decided to go there and drive them out of our farmland. When we got there, it turned to be bloody, they killed John Okeke, one of the membesr of the vigilante group, we now retaliated and started killing their cows because we cannot even kill human beings
“We took John back to the village and there was uproar; some were against me, they said why did I mobilize our people to the place that after all the woman killed is not from our community but from the neighbouring community.
“I told them that today it is that woman’s turn, tomorrow it could be another person’s turn.
“Our traditional ruler now called police but they did not see the herdsmen again; we buried John that same day.
“Now on that 27th around 12 a.m., I called my sister, because I was having some feelings. I told them that we need to go and pray, so I, Chidinma and faith went to the church to hold vigil, over the night, till about 3 a.m, which is now 28 of September.
“As we were coming back, we saw many people on the road, I was wondering why they were outside by that time of the day, I never knew that the herdsmen have attacked, killed my mother, Nwobodo Chinyere, killed the little boy that was living with us, Chinedu Amos, that was living with us. They killed them like goat; they left only my grand-mother alive, that she should demonstrate to me how they killed my mum, that she even begged them to leave Chinedu Amos but they refused, and said she is old already and useless, that she should tell me they ae coming for me, that they must kill me.”
He added that, “as I speak to you now, I’m in Lagos because my uncle and my family members came together and I said I should find my way. I never wanted to leave but I’m the only son, and they insisted I should run for my life.”
Meanwhile, the police said they were still on the trail of the killer herdsmen.
