Six feared killed in herdsmen’s attack on Delta community

Six persons were feared killed in a fresh attack launched by suspected herdsmen in Obodogba community, Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Council of Delta State.

The Guardian gathered that the incident, which occurred in the early hours of yesterday, had unsettled the entire Okpanam community, particularly Obodogba Quarters where residents’ farm-crops worth millions of naira were destroyed by the herdsmen’s cows.

Although the police spokesman in the state, Mr. Andrew Aniamaka, denied the incident as untrue, the Ugoani-in-Council in Okpanam, who confirmed the incident, said that a petition had been written to the State Police Command Headquarters in Asaba over the alleged invasion of Obodogba community’s farmlands by suspected herdsmen, saying that the invaders in the process started erecting permanent structures for permanent occupation apart from the alleged attack on the residents where six persons were feared dead.

It was gathered that trouble began when some residents of Obodogba community noticed that herdsmen had invaded their farmlands to destroy their crops with their cows.

This, it was further learnt, prompted the people to challenge the invaders but were said to have threatened to kill the people with their daggers, only to resurface yesterday at the same farmlands where fight broke out and left six persons feared killed.

Meanwhile, police officers at the Okpanam Police Division, who did not want their names in the print, said two of the herdsmen had been arrested, adding that they are currently helping the police on further investigation. One of the policemen said: “The attack was very bloody and some persons were killed in the process.”