By Youn Ehiurhoro
LAGOS FEBRUARY 4TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Fulani herdsmen has again resumed fresh attacks on Agadama community in Uwheru Kingdom, Ughelli North LGA of Delta state, killing two persons and several others injured.
The fresh attacks which occurred on the early hours of Saturday 2nd February, 2019 threw the entire community into mourning and pandemonium.
An eye witness who was also a leader in the community who spoke to URHOOODAY.COM Conrespondent under conditions of anonymity said, “It means we have no government in Delta state any more. How many times are we going to cry to the government to hear our cries and pains? We have done several publications in the newspapers on this issue appealing to the state government stop these herdsmen from entering into our community and farmlands. Yet, nothing has happened but they want us to vote for them,” he saed.
Speakin on he recent account, he disclosed, “ In today’s attacks, these same Fulani herdsmen penetrated into our farms with their herds of cattle in the night. In the morning, we got the news as many of our people have already prepared to go to farms. This prompted the youths to go and find out the report whether it’s true or not. Immediately they saw our boys around them, they started shooting at them. In the process, two of boys were shot dead while many others fled with bullet wounds. In fact, it was a devastating sight. As I talk now, we are still making ways to rush the victims for treatment. The entire Agadama community is under siege by these Fulani herdsmen.” The community leader said.
One of the youth leaders who also spoke on the issue said, “We are tired to continue to be slaves in our own land. Our government is denying us our freedom in this land. Two young men have just lost thier lives this morning. What about those they have been killing all these years? This Fulani herdsmen issue is an every year issue in this community. There is no way we can sleep with our two eyes closed. If you look at the whole community now, everybody is running helter skelter just to save our heads and our children from the evil hands of these terrorists. How should we present the matter to the government again? We are virtually tired of this everyday menace. Well, we will continue to call on Delta state government to come to our rescue now before they will exterminate the entire community.”
Meanwhile, the president general of Uwheru Kingdom, Mr. Cassidy Akpedafe in a telephone interview with our URHOBOTODAY.COM over the said attacks on Agadama community he disclosed that Uwheru communities are no longer safe for the 2019 general elections that are just around the corner.
According to him, “Sincerely speaking, the level of attacks these Fulani herdsmen have done and continue doing in Uwheru communities shows that the entire kingdom is no longer safe for the general elections that are just around the corner. I’m only saying this from today’s attacks on Agadama community. I have just been told that two young men in the community have been shot dead and several others injured by these same Fulani herdsmen.
“ What have we done to deserve this everyday trouble? Now, the most annoying part is that, the present government is paying deaf ears to our plight despite our numerous publications in different newspapers over this very issue. Secondly, all the presidential and governorship candidates of the various political parties are not even talking on how to solve this problem of Fulani herdsmen in the Niger Delta region in the cause of their campaigns. Now that the entire place is ravaged by these terrorists and the people are evacuating the place, who do they think will be courageous enough to stay and vote for them? Therefore, if both the federal and state governments want Uwheru people to participate in the coming elections, they should evacuate these Fulani herdsmen from the land immediately. Without this, I’m still saying that, Uwheru communities are not safe for the elections.”
However, all efforts to speak to the DPO of Ughelli Divisional Police Station over the said ugly incidence proved abortive as at the time of filing this report. The corpses of the victims had since being deposited in the morgue.