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LequteMan
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Suspected herdsmen have invaded an Abia state community, causing terror and havoc.
Police spokesman, ACP Ogbonnaya Nta, said scores were critically injured in the attack at Ndi Okereke Abam in Ovukwu Autonomous Community in Arochukwu LGA.
Narrating the incident to newsmen in Umuahia, the President-General of the community, Chief Chukwuma Okubi, said six persons sustained bullet and machete wounds and were rushed to a hospital in the area for medical treatment.
The president-general said 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.
Members of the man's family who escaped then raised alarm and drew the attention of the community.
On hearing the news, youths mobilized 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 the Commissioner of Police, Mr Leye Oyebade, and the Chairman, Farmers/Herdsmen Committee set up by the police, saved the situation from degenerating into something worse.
Police spokesman, ACP Ogbonnaya Nta, said scores were critically injured in the attack at Ndi Okereke Abam in Ovukwu Autonomous Community in Arochukwu LGA.
Narrating the incident to newsmen in Umuahia, the President-General of the community, Chief Chukwuma Okubi, said six persons sustained bullet and machete wounds and were rushed to a hospital in the area for medical treatment.
The president-general said 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.
Members of the man's family who escaped then raised alarm and drew the attention of the community.
On hearing the news, youths mobilized 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 the Commissioner of Police, Mr Leye Oyebade, and the Chairman, Farmers/Herdsmen Committee set up by the police, saved the situation from degenerating into something worse.
