Tension engulfs community in Rivers State over alleged herdsmen attack

…Victim calls for justice as he nurses multiple injuries

BY ERIC OLUSESAN

Anger and tension have enveloped Ogale community in Oil-rich Eleme Local Government Areas of Rivers State following alleged Fulani herdsmen attack, inflicting grave injuries on an indigene of the community in his farm.

It was learnt that the victim, Elder Aji Mbaka, had gone to his farm in the early hours of 6th June,2020, to harvest corn and other crops where he ran into the herdsmen.

It was further learnt that after the harvest, he had arranged the crops on his motor bike and was about his way home when the herders came on him.

Elder Aji Mbaka, being treated by a nurse at a private hospital.

According to him: “On the fateful Saturday I went to my farm. After arranging corns and other crops that I harvested on my motorbike and was only a few metres away from my farm on my way home, I saw three herdsmen jump out from the nearby farm with sticks and machetes in their hands. Next thing, they started attacking me.

“Two of the men hit my chest and I fell down and the other three started macheting me. I started crying fom help, I tried to run but fell down and they caught me and continued cutting me on my head. I dragged myself away from them and ran again but they chased me and continued cutting all parts of my body.

“I don’t know how God escaped me from them and I ran down to the road where I saw a bike that helped me to this hospital”.

Lamenting his ordeal from the clinic where he was being attended to, he said;

“Today is the first day since last week am able to speak due to the pain in my chest and all over my body. I am yet to get up from here since last week. This is where they bath and feed me. I have not seen my bike till now, maybe they took it away”, he said.

That was not the first time such occurrence from herdsmen was reported in Ogale. Villagers reported similar incidence last year where another indigene of Ogale nearly lost his life.

At the time of filing this report, neither the Eleme local government authorities or the Rivers State Command Police have reacted to the unfortunate incident.