Villagers Flee As Herdsmen Attack Delta Communities

By Emma Amaize, Ochuko Akuopha & Paul
Olayemi OBIARUKU— HERDSMEN, armed with AK 47 rifles,
caused panic at Ebedei community in Ukwuani
Local Government Area, Delta State, when they
shot at random, Tuesday night, forcing villagers,
largely women and children, to flee the rural
community. The shooting came on the heels of the tension
generated at Mosogar and Jesse communities in
Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state,
weekend, over the death of an indigene, allegedly
lynched by herdsmen, following a heated
argument. Unlike the Ebedei shooting in which villagers took
to their heels, it was the herdsmen that ran away
from Mosogar and Jesse, as youths launched a
manhunt for them. State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Andrew
Aniamaka, who confirmed the shooting in Ebedei,
said: “There is perfect calm in Ebeide as I speak to
you, even though there was shooting on Tuesday
night allegedly by herdsmen.” Herdsmen Sources in the community told Vanguard that
indigenes of the area had, in the last few years,
been at loggerheads with the herdsmen over
destruction of their farmlands and harassment of
villagers. Chairman of the community’s vigilante team, Mr
Olise Igbede, who spoke on the incident, said that
some indigenes were at the bank of a river at
Adonishaka Quarter of the community when 10
herdsmen accosted them about 6.30 p.m. Disclosing that eight of the herdsmen were armed
with AK-47 guns and the other two with cutlasses,
he said: “They were asking our boys if this is
Ebedei community and demanded to know why
we are against cattle grazing. “Our boys told them that they did not know what
they were talking about and immediately, the
herdsmen started beating them with their cutlasses
and the boys raised alarm, which attracted other
villagers.