Fulani herders have attacked Amakohia-Ubi community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, killing a vigilante leader and abducting others.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday evening around 6:30 pm, triggered mass exodus of residents who are still fleeing the community as at the time of filing this report.
The attack also left others wounded, while some people are missing.
A villager, who identified himself simply as Mr Paul, told Vanguard that the slain vigilante leader, identified as Monday Nwaozuzu, alias Ojo Ola, was gunned down during the attack.
“The dead, wounded, and missing persons are all members of our community vigilante group. Monday Nwaozuzu was killed by the herdsmen, while others are still missing or wounded. At least three members of the vigilante were caught up in the clash,” Paul said.
Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the trouble started when vigilante members tried to prevent herders and their cattle from entering farmlands around the community college axis.
“It is routine for our vigilantes to guard our farms. Yesterday, they encountered the herders and asked them to turn back, but they refused. Unknown to our men, the herders were fully armed. Suddenly, they opened fire, killing Monday and injuring another. Since then, we have been combing the bushes, searching for those missing,” the source said.
The villager added that suspicion of abduction heightened when one of the vigilantes’ phone number was dialed on Thursday morning, only for a suspected herder to answer the call.“For now, no one can say whether our brothers are dead or just abducted. This is not the first time our community has suffered such attacks in recent months,” he lamented.
The spokesperson of the Imo State Police Command, Henry Okoye, had yet to comment on the latest incident.
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