Abia Community threatens to fight back over Fulani Herdsmen attacks

Ndi Okereke Abam Community in Ovukwu area of Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State

The residents of Ndi Okereke Abam Community in Ovukwu area of Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State, have threatened a reprisal attack against the Fulani Herdsmen following the last week's attack by the invaders that left about seven people injured.
Although, Despite the reports that leaders of the community had resolved the clash between the villagers and the herdsmen, following the visit of member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Mr. Uko Nkole, the residents are still living in tension.
One of the victims during the attack said that they were reportedly attacked by the Fulani herdsmen, who used AK 47 rifles, bows and arrows as well as bows and cutlasses among other dangerous weapons.

A source who spoke with the South East Voice said that unless something was done urgently by the Federal Government to assuage the feelings of the people of the rural community, the matter could escalate as the indigenous people had resolved to put a stop to the incessant raping of their wives and daughters by armed and rampaging herdsmen.

Also, the President General of Ndi Okereke Abam Town Union, Chief Chukwuma Egbuta Okubi said the herdsmen were in the habit of leading their cattle into farms of the people and destroying their crops in the process.

Recall that Abacityblog reported last week that Fulani herdsmen clashed with farmers at the Ndi Okereke Abam Community in Ovukwu area of Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State.

The clash, according to the President General of Ndi Okereke Abam Town Union, Chief Chukwuma Egbuta Okubi, started “last Friday afternoon when one of our men went to his farm with his family members to harvest their rice, he saw that the herdsmen had led their cattle to feed on the heap of already harvested grains".
“Instead of heeding the pleas of the owners to take their cattle away from the harvested rice, the marauders drew their machetes and inflicted several cuts on the farmers".

The victims the were attacked in the area included Ezekiel Ebong who hails from Akwa Ibom State and Amos Omoro from Bayelsa State, but had settled and farming in the community,” Okubi added.

Meanwhile, the State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders, Hassan Buba, expressed sadness over the ugly incident and promised that it would not happen again. He assured that he would call an emergency meeting of all the Fulani in Abia State to look for a peaceful way for co-existence.

He, then, appealed to all the  parties involved to always report any ugly incident to the appropriate authorities instead taking the laws into their hands.

The Chairman of Farmers/Herdsmen Peace Committee and the state Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade have been making frantic effort to create a harmonious relationship between host communities and herdsmen, but his effort have not yielded fruitful dividends.