Suspected herdsmen have murdered no few than six persons, including pregnant women in an attacked carried out in the eastern part of Nigeria.
The unfortunate attack were carried out in Mgbuji and Ebo autonomous communities in the Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Counting the loss, many residents in the communities were also said to have been missing while houses and motorcycles were burnt during the attack on seven farm settlements.
New Webbs gathered that trouble started when some youths chased some herders out of their farms for allegedly allowing their cows to destroy hectares of cassava plantation.
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At the course of the struggle between the youth and the herders, some cows were said to have been killed, causing the herdsmen to launch a reprisal.
Some community leaders, who spoke to Punch on condition of anonymity on Friday, said the herdsmen invaded the settlements at about 3pm with AK-47 rifles and shot indiscriminately.
“After soldiers left the community for about four days, the Fulani herdsmen launched the attack on Thursday. When we heard rumours that they were preparing to invade our communities, we promptly alerted the police and the military.
“What we don’t know is why all the soldiers deployed to the settlements were withdrawn. I must tell you that except one soldier from the South-South, all the soldiers deployed to the community were northern Muslims. On one of the occasions, they even opened fire on our local vigilantes who were patrolling the settlements to repel attacks by the invaders.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Information, Mr Steve Oruruo, who confirmed the incident on the phone, said, “The attack is true and the government has deployed security (agents) to the affected communities.”