Residents desert homes as herdsmen, vigilante clash in Imo community

Indigenes of Amakohia-Ubi Community in Owerri-West Local Government Area of Imo have deserted their ancestral homes for their neighbouring communities following a clash between the cattle herdsmen and local security operatives of the area.

The deadly clash was said to have led to the death of one of the vigilantes, Monday Nwaozuzu, popularly known as Ojo Ola, and another was wounded, even as one of them involved in the clash is still missing.

A reliable source from the community told our correspondent that the incident, which occurred about 6:30 pm on Wednesday, witnessed heavy gun duel between the vigilantes and the herdsmen.

The vigilantes, the source said, attempted to resist the entrance of the herders and their cows into their farmlands, and the melee and resultant altercation between them led to a serious exchange of firearms.

“It’s always the routine of our vigilantes to guard our farms, so that day they encountered the Fulani herdsmen approaching at exactly the community’s college, they asked them to go back, but they refused, not knowing that they were fully armed, they opened fire on our men and killed Ojo Ola and wounded another person. As we speak, we’re still combing the bush in search of another vigilante.

“All through yesterday night they have been searching the bushes with hope to find him, but all to no avail. We have even commenced searching again this morning but no luck. But when his phone line was called this morning, one of the herdsmen picked it up, so we don’t know if he was abducted or killed,” the source said.

It be recalled that the community has been under severe attack by the herders in the last couple of months.

However, the Nigerian Police had, before now, visited the scene for on-the-spot assessment and calmed the tense situation in the area down, but that has not been enough to discourage the indigenes from a mass exodus to neighbouring communities and towns.

All efforts made to reach the Imo State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, failed as he could not pick up several calls placed on his mobile phone.