The Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), South-East Zone, to Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, has alleged that four herders were shot dead in an attack on a settlement in Ogborji, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State on Saturday.
Sidikki disclosed this in Awka, Anambra State capital, while briefing some journalists on the attacks on MACBAN members in the state and southeast zone in general.
The MACBAN chairman claimed that over 20 Fulani herdsmen have been killed in Anambra alone from January to March, 2021.
According to him, the latest attacks took place at Mohammed Idris Herders’ Settlement on Saturday.
He said he was told that gunmen entered the camp and started shooting and in the process four Fulanis were killed, while their corpses were taken away, adding that hundreds of cows were missing in the attack.
“One of the escaped herders called me and told me that some unknown gunmen in a Hilux vehicle with red cap invaded Mohammed Idris Herders’ Settlement shooting sporadically and that led to the deaths of our four members and hundreds of Cows missing,” he said.
He said that out of the four dead, police were able to recover only one corpse, as the other three corpses could not be found.
He also said five slaughtered cows were discovered in the area.
Sidikki gave the names of the four victims in the incident as Hadari Umaru, Hamidu Umaru, Aliu Idris and Hassan Idris.
He alleged that two herders had earlier been killed in a similar manner in Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, last week.
The MACBAN chairman said his major worry was that his people were becoming impatient with him to find a solution, while some of them were accusing him of selling out.
“My worries now is that time will come when they cannot listen to me again, then it would be very difficult to control and manage them. There is no issue of farmland damaged by our people that we did not pay,” Sidikki said.
Sidikki urged the Anambra State Government to take action to stop further attack and killing of herders in the state.
