LAGOS JANUARY 14H (NEWSRANGERS)-One person has been shot while several others sustained various degrees of injuries during a protest by youths and women from Agadama community in Ughelli North local government area of Delta State over a renewed influx of herdsmen into their community.
Commuters travelling to the headquarters of Bomadi council area and other adjourning communities in the area as well as Burutu local government area were stranded for hours as the protesters held sway on the road.
The protest is coming two days after a fisherman from the community, simply identified as Genesis, was shot dead by the herdsmen with his corpse still in the bush.
The protesters who laid siege on the road as early as 6a.m, claimed they sighted a group of over 100 herdsmen trooping into their community at about 2a.m on Monday and sorted the intervention of the army stationed at Bomadi.
However, when the troops arrived the community at about 4:30a.m, the protesters had already barricaded the road, accusing the army of aiding the herdsmen in their atrocities.
Sources at the community said a melee ensued at that point between the protesters and the soldiers who tried to “forcefully” pass the barricade erected by the youths with their Hilux vans but were resisted by the youths.
The source said: “This impasse led to the shooting of one of the youths identified as Vincent Jonathan on the leg.”
Fortunately, the incident coincided with the arrival of the council Chairman, Godwin Adode, accompanied by the police who were led by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of Ughelli ‘A’ Division, Onyeke Ezekiel who rushed the shot victim to the Ughelli Central hospital for medical attention.
As at 1p.m when Vanguard visited the scene, the barricade on the road had been lifted with the protesters dispersed.