Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The people of Uhweru kingdom in the Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State have described as ‘falsehood’ the position of state police command on the alleged attacks by suspected herdsmen in some communities of the kingdom where about eight persons reportedly killed.
The police had in a statement by the command’s public relations officer, Onome Onovwakpoyeya said one person was recovered with bullet wounds and was now receiving treatment.
But the President-General of Uwheru Kingdom, Cassidy Akpodafe, insisted that 11 persons from the communities were allegedly killed by the arms-wielding herdsmen during sustained attacks last Thursday and Friday.
“What the police are saying is not true. On Sunday, three corpses were taken to the mortuary. As we speak, seven persons are dead inside the bush and we have not recovered their dead bodies.
“The three bodies taken to the mortuary were the ones we exhumed. The bodies were exhumed on Sunday evening after the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege visited the community.
“Almost 17 persons have been rushed to hospital for medical treatment. If you go to the Central Hospital, Ughelli you will see them. The police should not cook a report that is not correct,” he maintained.
Akpodafe stated that no fewer than 86 lives have been lost to herdsmen attacks in the kingdom in the last 12 years.
He appealed to the Delta State and Federal Government to secure them by ordering the herdsmen to leave the community to enable the people of the area to return to their farms again.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege who represents the area confirmed that the bodies of those exhumed will be taken for autopsy.
Omo-Agege who visited the bereaved communities on Sunday, said he was aware that the three bodies were victims of the attack.
This is even as the state Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare who also hails from the area, accused the military of forcing them to bury the victims.
Muoboghare also described the claims by the state police commissioner that no dead body had been recovered as a lie, adding “that is a lie from the pit of hell. I have been in the village since Saturday and Sunday. I was there at Agadama – the epicentre with the police, soldiers and all.
“Yes, it is true the killing started on Thursday night and on Friday night it repeated itself. On Saturday, the boys could not bear it anymore because their people were killed and some burnt beyond recognition. On that Saturday when the boys were angry, they barricaded the road. That is when the herdsmen knew that they had to call their brothers who are soldiers and they came shooting.
“They shot one boy and they took him to Uwheru main town for treatment but he died. In anger, the people of the community took the body to the palace of the Odion R’ode (monarch). The Odion R’Ode is still alive. And the soldiers and the police are claiming nobody died?
“Secondly, the soldiers now insisted that since their men were injured, we must produce the bodies of those we claimed were dead. We told them that herdsmen have taken over the place and we cannot enter. They said they will lead and they saw one boy who was shot since on Friday still breathing.
“They took him to the hospital. He said he was going to farm when he was attacked and others were killed and they (herdsmen) took the bodies away. The one that was burnt beyond recognition, the family buried him. The Fulani herdsmen are there in the bush with the bodies of our people. They confronted the herdsmen and they said they will not release the bodies. And as I speak to you, they didn’t release the dead bodies as on Sunday.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Hafiz Inuwa, however, maintained that he was not aware that some bodies allegedly killed by herdsmen had been exhumed in the troubled community.
When asked if he was aware that some of the bodies had been exhumed and taken to Ughelli Central Hospital, the police commissioner said: “I don’t know about that and even if some bodies were brought, it’s subject to investigation. We will find out.
“The rescue team that went there on Saturday and Sunday in company of the PG, the police and members of the community all went round except one person that was seen with gunshot injuries, nobody was seen. If there was any other attack prior to that and was not reported to the police, we don’t know about it. If there is any other case it’s subject to investigation.”