Residents flee as armed herdsmen storm Anambra community

07/06/2016 

 

Residents of Agbo, Okebunoye and Umunambu villages in Alor community, Idemi­li North Local Government Area of Anambra State and those in the neighbouring Ohokwu village, Oraukwu, have deserted their homes for fear of being attacked at night by armed Fulani herdsmen.

The herdsmen, num­bering over 15, reported­ly stormed the community by 4:30pm on Monday. They were allegedly armed with AK-47 rifles, machetes and other dangerous weapons.

The incident came 12 days after about 50 poison­ous bows and arrows were intercepted from two sus­pected Fulani herdsmen at Ubana farmland in Dim-Ubana village, Oraukwu.

When The AUTHORI­TY visited one of the com­munities, most residential buildings were abandoned while the police, the local vigilantes and other securi­ty agents patrolled the area.

A few residents however gathered in groups discussing their fate. They told The AU­THORITY that they had since sought refuge in neighbouring communities deemed as safer.

The Traditional Ruler of Alor, Igwe MacAnthony Elibe Okonkwo, told our reporter that the weapon-wielding Fu­lani herdsmen stormed their community in a Toyota bus and thereafter went into the bush.

He said: “Yesterday (Mon­day), at about 4:30pm, infor­mation came from the resi­dents of Agbo village in Alor, the boundary between Ohok­wu village, Oraukwu and Alor that armed Fulani herdsmen numbering about 15 stormed our community.

The residents, who were working in their farms when the herdsmen arrived in a Toy­ota bus, said that they immedi­ately filed into the bush while the bus drove away. They were reportedly armed with AK-47 rifles, machetes and daggers.

“As a result, the people of Agbo, Okebunoye, and Umu­nambu villages deserted their homes for fear of being at­tacked at night by the herds­men. So, I immediately alert­ed the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and the state Police Commissioner who sent in a team of policemen. I also in­formed other security agen­cies which arrived in droves,” he said.

Igwe Okonkwo, however, pleaded with his fleeing sub­jects to return and contin­ue with their businesses as he had been assured of adequate security.

The Anambra State Police Command spokesman, Ali Okechukwu, said he was yet to be briefed on the develop­ment and promised to get back to The AUTHORITY.

But an operative of the Department of State Security (DSS) who preferred anonymi­ty confirmed the development.