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Two Kidnapped, One Feared Dead As Fulani Herdsmen Storm Aku Community in Enugu

Published

8 years ago

September 21, 2016

Fulani herdsmen, yesterday, made good their threat when they attacked Aku community in the Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State.

They kidnapped two villagers while another is feared to have been killed.

Reports from the community revealed that the herdsmen attacked some farmers in their farm, kidnapped two of them just as one person is feared to have died in the attack.

The attack comes five months after a previous one in Ukpabi, Nimbo, in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of the state, on Tuesday, April 26, 2016.

The midnight raid by suspected Fulani herdsmen left over 15 people including a National Youth Service Corps member and elderly men, dead.

During his visit to the community, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi broke down in tears.

Last week, traditional rulers and leaders of Aku community, raised fresh alarm over threats by the herdsmen to avenge the alleged theft of 300 cows and slaughtering of about 10 others by unknown persons in the area.

Addressing a news conference in Enugu, the six traditional rulers of Aku, including the chairman Aku Traditional Rulers’ Council Igwe V.O Attah, expressed concern over a certain comment said to have been made in the presence of the Divisional Police Officer in the area, by one Alhaji Sadiq, about an imminent attack on the Aku Community.

They had urged relevant authorities to accord the threat the gravity and urgency it deserved.

The community leaders recalled that on September 8, 2016, Alhaji Sadiq, one of the leaders of the Fulani herdsmen in the South East, raised the alarm that youths from Aku attacked herdsmen camp near Aku Town, robbed them of N10, 000, butchered 10 cows and proceeded to steal 300 cows.

The traditional rulers, who adopted a communiqué issued by Aku Community leaders, noted that evidence available showed that Aku Youths were not responsible for the attack adding that the attack did not take place within Aku boundary but within Agu Affa/Agu Egede in Udi L.G.A.

“That security report from the Igbo-Etiti DPO during an interactive session revealed that the attackers were suspected armed robbers.”

One of our source sent this and we quote

Pls the true situation is that two Aku men were kidnapped by two Fulani men armed with guns in their farm at Odor-Odum farm settlement which is at Ujatta Nze around 9am yesterday. The two men are Paul Ugwu and Hyacinth Nweze. Paul Ugwu’s wife who is eye witness said that they threaten to shoot her when she cried and followed them. She said that the owner of the farm settlement is called DD from Ndjue. The two Aku men told me in phone conversation this morning that the Fulani men told them that they would have killed them if not for their age, but accused them of sending Aku youths to kill their cows. Paul said that when he understood that they were targeting Aku, he told them that he was from Ukpatu. He said that they issued threats that they’ll deal with Aku and Ndjue people. I have asked them go with some enlightened people to make statement with the DPO OGBEDE whom I have intimated. We are yet to confirm if the young man arrested by our youths yesternight in Aku is a Fulani on a spy mission as he is feigning deaf and dumb. He’s been handed over to the police. Meanwhile, I yesterday took the vigilante group employed by Aku Security Committee to OGBEDE police for official identification and possible cooperation.