By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Fulani herdsmen have allegedly attacked and murdered a cow buyer in Umueri, Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State, while two others miraculously escaped from their hands during the same attack.
It was gathered that the herdsmen launched the attack on the victims while trying to sell cows to them in a bush in Ifite village, Umueri.
Narrating their ordeal in a video trending online, one of the victims of the attack, Mr. Celestine Nwakor (from Nteje in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State) explained that he and the two other victims —Chinonso Ajah (from Nteje) and Energy (from Umunya, also in Oyi Local Government Area) wanted to buy cows, and were being led to the place where the herdsmen said their cows were, in a bush.
According to him, he was earlier on call with one of the herdsmen who gave him direction on how to locate them and their cows inside the bush and also sent one of his co-herdsmen to meet and guide them to the location.
“My two colleagues were in the front with their motorcycle, while I was drive-following them behind in my truck with that herdsman on board, giving us direction.
“As we were going, we saw some cows; I asked the herdsman if it was there, and he said No, that we should keep going inside. And we kept going.
“We then got to a place where I told him I needed to reverse my car and go with back so that I won’t have difficulty while coming out. But the herdsman said we should keep coming in, until we got to a place where he said we should stop.
“Immediately we got there, a group of boys, numbering about ten, jumped out from the bush with pistols, and rushed us. In the process of the attack, Energy escaped, and some of them chased after him to an unknown destination; while others surrendered two of us, robbed us of all our belongings on gun point, and thereafter started leading us further into the bush, still on gunpoint,” he narrated (in Igbo language).
He, however, said Ajah also later escaped from their hands as they were going, while they all chased after him, leaving only him himself there; and he also took to his own heel.
Nwakor said he eventually met and reunited with Ajah in the bush after some minutes, shortly after which they saw the corpse of their colleague, Energy, where it lied in the pool of his blood, with fresh wounds of machetes and blood all over his head and body.
Confirming the incident, the Spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu said three suspects had already been arrested in connection with the case, while investigation is still ongoing.
“We have 3 suspects in custody, and investigation is ongoing please,” he said.
The traditional ruler of Umueri, Igwe Ben Emeka also confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with this reporter, and also revealed that the incident happened on Wednesday.
He also confirmed that arrest has been made, but however said the information is still sketchy.
