The Dare Devil Fulani Bandits on Tuesday launched deadly attack on the Ajokpachi Odo Community in Omala LGA of Kogi state killing no fewer than three persons, and cart away Motorbikes, foodstuffs while scores missing.
This deadly attack occured barely fortnight ago after the same bandits massacred over 25 people in the neighbouring Community of Agojeju Odo.
The attack was said to have occurred when the Youths in the area on surveillance mission were ambushed and killed by the suspected Fulani Bandits.
According to the locals , the fulani militia who have been engaging in fierce battle with the Agatus for over a week now were relocating when they met the youths who were holding brief meeting in Ajokpachi Odo and in an exchange of fire,one Musa Sule, from Ajokpachi Odo, one from Bagaji Odo and another one from Ajomachi, a borderline village in Benue state were killed while many others still missing.
According to a Community Leader , Nifu Abuka, who spent all night in the bush for his life as a result of the incident, said, since the ugly attack on Agojeju Odo, his people have been sleeping with one eye closed.
He added that the porous and lack of security presence in the area has made them vulnerable to incessant Fulani attacks and called on relevant government agencies to come to their rescue.
He said, the age long feud between Agatu and Fulani in Benue and Nasarawa states have made his community, which share boundary with Agatu in Benue state -susceptible to attack.
He called on the Federal Government and state Government to urgently deploy permanent Security outfits to the communities to save them from unsolicited deaths in the hands of the hoodlums who have taken over their farms and the deserted villages.
He said, presently, the survivors have fled their ancestral homes, and if not checked, would worsen food security in the area.
He called on Federal Government and kogi state government to take proactive measures to safeguard his people whose only occupation is farming.
According to him” This attack is one too many. Not too long ago, before the Agojeju Odo massacre, the Fulani Bandits had killed about six people in Ajadapa, a neighborhood in Benue state and took over their homes. We are perpetually living in fears and don’t know who will be the next victim. Both our farms, streams, and forests have been occupied by these elements who killed at will.
“We thought that with what happened at Agojeju Odo, the story would have changed by now, unfortunately, the Fulani bandits are daily having upper hands , knowing fully well that there will be no consequences of their actions.”
“We don’t have arms to defend ourselves. We are begging our hardworking governor, Alhaji Ahmed Ododo and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to act urgently before we are all dead.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman Caretaker Committee CTC of Omala Local Government Council, Hon Marknoble Peter Edibo , who confirmed the incident, lamented how his people have been caught in the web of the feud between the Fulani and Agatu in Benue and Nasarawa states which the LGA shares boundary with.
He said, the magnitude of the crisis is too weighty for only the council to bear even as the state government has not relent in its efforts to finding lasting solutions to the crisis.
He urged the Federal Government to treat the insecurity in the area as a National Emergency to deploy it’s full weight of the law to these borderline communities to ward off the belligerents from these states from further infiltration into his communities.
He however, advised youths in the area to exercise restraints and not to take part in the feud between the fulani and Agatu in Benue state.
He assured the people of his commitment to restore normalcy, while working hard to protect lives and property of the people.
Recall that on 9th April, 2024 Agojeju Odo was attacked by suspected Fulani Bandits who killed over 25 persons and properties destroyed.
Meanwhile, effort to reach the police public relations officer , SP William Aya proved abortive as calls to his phone was not answered.
•INDEPENDENTNG.