Tension rises in Abia over attack on community by herdsmen

Tension is said to be rising in Abia as the police confirmed that suspected herdsmen armed with firearms attacked a community in the state and left scores of the indigenes critically wounded.

Youths said to be have been wounded in the process are becoming uncomfortable, with the police closely monitoring developments to stem possible escalation of the situation.

Ogbonnaya Nta, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in Abia who confirmed the incident, said investigations into how the suspected herdsmen launched the attack have commenced.

Ndi Okereke Abam in Ovukwu Autonomous Community in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia was invaded on Friday by suspected armed herdsmen.

Chukwuma Okubi, the president-general of the community, narrating the incident to newsmen in Umuahia, the state capital, said that the attacked was launched in the afternoon.

According to Okubi, six persons sustained bullet and machete wounds and were rushed to a hospital in the area for medical treatment. He added that the herdsmen invaded their farmlands and destroyed their crops.

Okubi, who described the act as `provocative,’ said that the cattle feasted on bags of rice, harvested by one of the victims.

“The plea by the farmer to the herdsmen to take the cattle away from the rice fell on deaf ears as they drew their machete and gave several cuts on the man. The cattle used to graze on grass in the past but this time, they were led into the farms which are our main source of livelihood,” he said.

Okubi said that it was the alarm raised by members of the man’s family, who escaped from the scene that drew the attention of the community.

He explained that upon receiving the information, the youths mobilised and headed for the farmlands to ascertain the level of destruction and casualty.

“Unfortunately, as soon as the herdsmen saw the youths, they opened fire on them and inflicted machete cut on some of them,’’Okubi added.

He said that the timely intervention of Leye Oyebade, the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Leye Oyebade, and chairman, Farmers/Herdsmen Committee set up by the police, saved the situation from degenerating.