Delta community cries out over attacks by herdsmen
By Festus Ahon
Residents of Issele-Azagba community in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, have cried out over the incessant attacks on the community by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the last four months and called on President Mohammadu Buhari to come to their rescue.
Addressing newsmen on the situation, President General of the Issele-Azagba Development Union, Mr Ben Illoh said that the suspected Fulani herdsmen have killed four members of the community and kidnapped several persons who were freed after the payment of ransom in the separate attacks.
According to him, residents of the town no longer sleep with their eyes closed, he therefore appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the various security agencies to liberate them. He lamented that the situation has overwhelmed the local vigilante group.
According to Illoh: “These attacks have become a very big problem to us. Teachers are afraid to go and teach, it took serious efforts to get some of them back to school as the presence of vigilante operatives gave them the courage to go to school”.
The community youth leader, Mr Ogebu Edozie who also spoke with newsmen, said “Issele-Azagba is very receptive to strangers irrespective of tribe or religion but bandits have taken advantage of such hospitality to unleash terror on us”.
Edozie insisted that armed Fulani herdsmen were responsible for the series of attacks on the community, noting that those who have encountered the hoodlums including freed kidnapped victims confirmed that the attackers were Fulani going by the language which they spoke and their physical appearance.
Since October 13, last year when the suspected Fulani herdsmen launched the first attack on the community by invading the Issele-Azagba Secondary School and kidnapped the School’s Principal and some teachers after beating security at the gate, the community has not known peace.
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It has been more or less one week, one trouble for residents of the community. On the 23rd of February, the suspected Fulani herdsmen stormed the community, attacked the residence of one Daniel Benwari, shot sporadically, killed the man, who was said to be of Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic extraction, injured his daughter and kidnapped the wife, Helen Benwari.
Few days later, the wife was released with serious body injuries after undisclosed amount of ransom was paid. She was immediately taken to the Federal Medical Center, Asaba where the daughter was also taken to for treatment. Again, the suspected Fulani herdsmen on the 4th of March, besieged the community, killed the manager of a brothel (names withheld) in the community and kidnapped eight persons.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Hafiz Inuwa has vowed to rid the state of criminal elements, including armed Fulani herdsmen terrorizing communities in the State.
Inuwa said he was determined to change the narratives of crime and criminal activities in the state, maintaining that Vigilante groups were playing a pivotal role in assisting the police to fight crime especially at the grassroots.
The post Delta community cries out over attacks by herdsmen appeared first on Vanguard News.
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