Posted on: 02:04 Thu, 12 Nov 2015



Twenty two people have been
reportedly killed in an early
morning attack by an armed group
alleged to be Fulani herdsmen on 9
different communities in Dekina
Local Government Area of Kogi.

The herdsmen who raided the
communities were said to have
carried out the attack in the early
hours of Monday, November 9th,
2015, killing 22 and wounding
several others, while hundreds are
said to be missing.

Briefing the House of
Representatives Press Corps
yesterday at the National Assembly,
representatives of concerned
members of the affected
communities, led by Barrister Usman
Ibrahim and Silas Ahiaba, stated that
the people of the affected
communities were in distress, having
been chased away from their
ancestral lands, and that they
require the urgent intervention of
the state and federal governments.

Addressing the media, Barrister
Ibrahim said: “We are all talking
from the position of distress. As we
speak, our fathers, grandfathers,
parents and loved ones have been
chased away from their ancestral
homes where they have existed for
over 200 years.

“At early hours of Monday, the
communities were greeted with an
invasion of heavily armed Fulani
herdsmen who killed and maimed so
many. As of today, 22 people have
been confirmed dead, several others
either injured or missing. Right now,
we are refugees in our own land.”

Asked if there has been any response
or intervention from the state
government, the visibly emotional
bureaucrat who is also a Committee
Clerk in the National Assembly said
the response from the state
government has so far been skeletal
with little or no effect.

“The state government has been fully
briefed on this matter. But whether
they have been able to make any
inroad is still not certain because our
people are still displaced. As at
yesterday, a few policemen went to
the places but no form of arrest has
been made so far. There has not
been any fruitful response from
governments at any level. We want
the Federal Government to intervene
and return our families home in one
piece. That’s the humble appeal we
are making,” he said.

On whether there has been conflict
of that nature between the herdsmen
and farmers in the past, the
aggrieved indigene answered in the
affirmative, saying that there has
been confrontations in the past but
nothing murderous.

“This is a period when the farmers
harvest their farm produce and what
the herdsmen do is to come and feast
on the harvest. So it has always been
an issue between them. However,
this time they came to kill and
destroy lives and property,” he said.

The group also lamented the lack of
response by federal and state
legislators representing the affected
communities which fall within the
Igala speaking areas of Kogi state.

“On whether we have informed our
lawmakers, yes we have tried to
contact them but they have been
unavailable. I have made efforts to
reach out to the State Assembly
members and even the
Representative and the Senator here,
but we are yet to establish contact
with them concerning this situation,”
Mr. Ibrahim said.

The affected communities are
Agojeju, Ikpoba, Ojeh, Ajomojayi,
Ajadaji, Idochi, Ojiyanawo, Ulaja and
Oganenigu respectively.

All affected communities are in
Dekin/Bassa Federal constituency
which is currently being represented
by Hon. Benjamin Ikani Okolo in the
8th House of Reps; while Senator
Abdulrahman Abubakar represents
Kogi East in the 8th Senate.

However, no form of legislative
effort has emerged from either of
them since the ugly incident
occurred on Monday.

Source: SunNews