VANGUARD NEWS

RESIDENTS  of Port-Avwon, a community in Uwheru Kingdom, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, who fled the town following invasion recently, by suspected herdsmen, have screamed from their sanctuaries that the invaders had overrun their homeland.

Police in the state had in reaction, debunked the claim that herdsmen invaded the community, but Uwheru Kingdom slammed the state Command for telling lies.

They’ve taken over our village – Mrs Ighochureya

One of the residents who escaped from Port-Avwon village to Uwheru main town, Mrs Yellow Ighochureya, told NDV: “Herdsmen have taken over our village, the people are right there in Port-Avwon presently and they have destroyed our farm crops.

“Last year, they killed three of our indigenes in Avwon; this year, they have taken over the place and if we do not run away, they will kill us. That is why we have run here to Uwheru main town,” she added.

Fulani people drove us away – Eunice

Another resident of the village who gave her name as Eunice, said: “Fulani people have driven us from our community. Everybody has fled the community, we are calling on the government to help us to remove Fulani people from the community.”

They attack us every year–Chief Etagbedavwe, woman leader

The woman leader of the community, Chief (Mrs.) Christiana Etagbedavwe told NDV: “For many years, Fulani herdsmen have been troubling this town, killing our people, raping the women and destroying everything that we plant.

“These Fulani herdsmen put us in hunger and we have been crying to the government and you know in our community, 99 per cent of the people are farmers and farming is what sustains us, we do not have any company or higher institution.

“Every year after planting, Fulani herdsmen will come from their place and destroy our crops and put us into hunger and as farmers, we are trying to train our children and since Fulani herdsmen are destroying our farms, we cannot send them to school again because we cannot pay school fees and eat.

“This year, they have come again, the small things that we have planted since December 2021, they have come again and destroyed them, chasing people from their farms. We want the government to help us because this situation is very bad. Please we are begging the government to come to our aid,” she said.

Commissioner Muoboghare takes Police to the cleaners

Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, who responded to Police denial of invasion of the community by herdsmen and handover of an apprehended suspect to the Police, said: “The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, lied; he deliberately lied. If he was so sure that there was such a child, he should mention the name of the child and the parents to whom the child was handed over. Who are the parents of that child and who handed over the child?

“It is a shame, a very big shame that a Police officer can deny the fact that Fulani have invaded Uwheru community when everyone in the world knows that as we speak, they are there.

“Anybody, no matter how highly placed who says there is no invasion of Fulani herdsmen on Uwheru going on right now, is part of the planning of that invasion.

Earlier denial by the police

“This was how the Police Commissioner in 2020 denied that there were no killings in Uwheru by Fulani herdsmen until we were forced to swallow our pride; we went to the forest and exhumed the bodies from the shallow graves in which they were buried by the scoundrels and the whole world saw them.

“Till this moment, the Police have not owned up to the fact that in 2020, there were killings in Uwheru. Now, the same people have sent them to go and cause havoc in Uwheru.

Cover for invaders!

“They are from the Niger Republic, from Chad, they are Malians, but they are Fulanis and they have their people here who are protecting them.

“I take exception to that statement by the Police Public Relations Officer; it is an insult and he should be redeployed. Even the commissioner should be redeployed if he believes that kind of story,” Muoboghare fumed.