Amankwo community bemoans herdsmen’s attacks, counts losses

Amankwo Ugbawka community, in Nkanu East Council of Enugu State yesterday, lamented over what they described as the “overbearing activities of Fulani herdsmen,” which they said have made living ‘miserable” to the people of the community.

Testifying at the resumed hearing of the Commission of Inquiry into the killing of people and destruction of property in Nimbo community, the community said several of her women have been raped with farmlands destroyed by gun-wielding herdsmen.

This is as the chairman of the panel; Justice Chukwuma Eneh lamented the continued absence of the representative of the Fulani community, Alhaji Addo from sitting, despite his warnings.

He stressed that the development was seriously affecting the work of the committee.

According to the community, at least eight cassava and rice farms worth over N5m have been destroyed in the last one-week by the gun-clutching herdsmen.

Traditional ruler of the community, Jonathan Mbede said that it had since October 2015, had her source of domestic and drinking water polluted by cattle, thereby exposing the people to water-borne diseases.

Painting a graphic picture of the situation in the community, Mbede said: “On October 9, last year, some heavily-armed Fulani youths attacked a shop located at Amankwo, owned by one lady, Perpertua Ezenwodo and forced all the customers to lie face down at gun point.

“They also blocked the three roads leading to the village to stop movements of people, thereby preventing information from reaching the members of vigilante group who were on duty that night.

The monarch added that the herdsmen on the 12th of the same month struck again at the home of Mrs Patience Edeh and carted away many valuables.

“The worst and the third in the series of robbery attacks in Amankwo was on January 25th, when a three-man Fulani herdsmen invaded the home of Mrs Josephine Anionu and took turns to rape her until they were satisfied.”

He said the community had written several petitions to the police on the issue, adding, “so far nothing has been done to stop them as they still move about freely in the community.”

He further narrated that the marauding herdsmen, last week, destroyed the cassava and rice farms belonging to Alphonsus Chukwu, Chika Egbo, Okechukwu Dickson, Mathias Nwodo, Fidelis Ogbede, Okonkwo Abel and Sunday Nwafor.

Tendering pictures of the destruction, he said the farmers lost crops worth over five million naira, stressing, “We cannot continue this way.”