Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Chairman of Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State Hon. Benedicta Attoh, has decried the gruesome murder of three persons in Okpekpe, North Ibie, Etsako East Local Council by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
In a statement by her Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Benjamin Atu in the headquarters, Agenebode and made available to journalists in Benin, Hon. Attoh disclosed that seven other persons were macheted in the neighbouring community of Itsukwi, also in North Ibie.
The victims who had their throats slithered and bodies butchered were killed in their farmland in the community, while others managed to escape from the marauders.
There is currently panic in the area following the attacks by the suspected cattlemen as locals in the entire North Ibie are now afraid of going to their farmlands to cultivate crops.
The chairman lamented that Etsako East Local Government Area has become the latest killing field by Fulani herdsmen, who have unleash a reign of terror on the people.
“My people, are being massacred like goats. Everyday, you hear that five or four people were killed; we cannot have the exact number of those that have been killed because some corpses are still in the bush and yet to be discovered.
“No axis is safe in our land, both roads and farms. This was what happened in Agenebode where the youth retaliated and burnt down the local police station, killing some persons in the process and the destruction of properties a few weeks ago.”
Against the backdrop of the unprovoked attacks, the chairman pleaded with the relevant authorities to allow local youths bear arms to defend their land, noting that she has tried within her capacity to calm them down so as not to engage in reprisal attacks against cattle rearers in the localities.
“Etsako East is on fire. Killing and kidnapping is taking place daily and our youths are willing to defend themselves, their families and their land”, Attoh said.
She said that it is time to tackle this high level insecurity by deploying military in parts of the bush and farm areas to give the farmers an immediate sense of safety in their farm lands.
She insisted that the federal government must fulfil its primary purpose of securing the lives and properties of every citizen.
She called on the National Assembly to legalise self-defense so that Nigerian every community can bear arms to defend themselves.
Reacting, the traditional ruler, His Royal Highness Peter A. Osigbemeh, the Onwueweko of Okpekpe called on the federal and state governments to establish forest rangers to guard the forest by equipping the local vigilante groups and hunters with necessary security gadgets to enable them take charge of their own forest and defend themselves.
The royal father added: “The current madness has gone beyond the mere establishment of security agencies and networks. Security men should be deployed to the forest because our problems are in the forest and not in the land and the police can’t manage this.”