By Sunday Ogli, Makurdi
NO fewer than three persons were reportedly killed and several others wounded during a clash between hunters and armed Fulani herdsmen at Okpomaju village in Okete Ward of Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State on Monday.
The incident was said to have taken place during a hunting expedition in the area.
Among those killed was a herdsman while the two others were hunters from Otukpo.
The armed herders who were said to be relatively new in Okpomaju community were said to have immediately opened fire on sighting the hunters, killing two of them while several others sustained several degrees injury.
The development sparked fear among the inhabitants, resulting in an exodus, particularly women fleeing the community with their children.
Even in Ugboju District, also in Otukpo LGA, farmers in Akpachi, Oboh and their environs have abandoned their farms for fear of being attacked by herdsmen.
One of the farmers, Oga Sunday, who spoke to reporters in tears, said he was chased from his farm by a herder who was carrying a gun and a machete leaving his harvested yams and other farm produce at the mercy of grazing cattle.
However, according to one of the hunters in Okpomaju, “We were out on our usual hunting exercise on Monday when we encountered a hostile group of Fulani herdsmen who opened fire at us immediately they sited us, causing fatal injuries on some of us.
“Expectedly, we fired back and felled one of them while others started retreating.
“One of our colleagues who shot in the belly was rushed to the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital Otukpo for medical attention.
When contacted, the Och’Otukpo Odu, Chief John Eimonye, confirmed the incident and said he and the leader of the herdsmen were going to meet the following day to find solution to the crisis.
He discountenanced the allegation that the herdsmen were exhibiting brazen rascality because they have bought over lands from the chiefs and locals in the area.
The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Council, Mr. Maxwell Ogiri, also confirmed the incident and said measures have been put in place to prevent re-occurrence.
Some of the measures, Ogiri said were resolutions between the leaders of the herdsmen to fish out any erring herdsman intent in causing mayhem.
“The promised to forge harmonious relationship with the Otukpo people, saying that most of them were born and brought up in Otukpo,” he said.
When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, CSP Catherine Anene said she would contact the Otukpo division to get the report.
