On Thursday, some suspected herdsmen invaded the local government and attacked a commercial bus and killed five passengers and shot eight others. Twenty houses were also set on fire by the gunmen.
The national chairman of Irigwe Development Association, Honourable Sunday Abdu, who confirmed the latest incident to Sunday Tribune, said the attack was a rude shock to the entire Irigwe nation, in view of the peace meeting both the Fulani and the natives held with the state deputy governor, Professor Sonny Tyoden, on Friday over happenings in the local government.
“At the meeting, we all agreed to embrace peace, we begged the Fulanis; they also sought for our understanding; everybody left the meeting satisfied and we asked our people to forget the past. But before daybreak, the Fulani herdsmen struck again at Hukke village, killing three elderly people and set 26 houses on fire.
“The government should come to our aid and halt these killings. In the past two weeks, there was no day we didn’t bury up to five people. They are complaining of cows but we are complaining of human beings. The Irigwe are not out to fight anybody but, they have been bragging about that nothing will happen to them because they have people at the top.
“In the latest attack, all the barns filled with farm produce were burnt to ashes just to inflict further pains on our people. But we have the assurance that God will fight for us, if they are posing as Goliath, God will make us David on to them,” he said.
All attempts to get the state chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Mallam Mohammad Nura, over the latest attack alleged to have been carried out by Fulani herdsmen proved abortive, as calls to his phone did not go through.
The state Police Command in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, ASP Terna Tyopev, confirmed the deaths.
“Those killed are Ahmadu Hwie (100 years); Hwie Odoh (90 years) and Gado Kondo (70 years),” he stated.
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