Suspected herdsmen attack husband, rape wife in Edo

• Okowa visits Ossissa, orders deployment of policemen
• Fears over cattle rearers’ invasion jolt Enugu community

Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen yesterday allegedly raped a married woman and beat her husband mercilessly at a farm at Ubuneke- Ivbiaro in Owan East local council of Edo State.

The husband of the victim, Umoru Agunu said about six armed herdsmen invaded his farm at about 10:30 in the morning, beat him and raped his wife in his presence.

According to him: “Not long when I arrived at my farm with my wife, I saw six armed herdsmen demanding for my phone. But when I told them I don’t have any, they beat me up mercilessly and two of them raped my wife. They came with a young woman who was probably abducted.”

Reacting to the incident, one of the community leaders, Yakubu Ibrahim said: “We have been under siege by the activities of armed herdsmen. Over 50 women have been raped, about 50 kidnapped while several people were assaulted.”

Meanwhile, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa yesterday ordered the deployment of policemen to Ossissa in Ndokwa East local council of Delta State where Fulani herdsmen killed five farmers at the weekend.

The governor who led government officials on a visit to the community said the activities of the herdsmen have become worrisome.

Okowa said intelligence gathering should be adopted as a means to tackle the menace of Fulani herdsmen in the country.

In a related development, there was chaos in Obeagu-Ugwuaji, Enugu South council yesterday when herdsmen with their cattle invaded the community at about 2:30 a.m. when the natives were asleep.

Apparently thinking that they had come to attack them, local vigilance group guarding the area started shooting into the air and sounded the community bells severally, which woke the residents from sleep.

The police, which confirmed the development, however dismissed reports of an attack on the community by herdsman, stressing that, “they were only passing through the community when the guards saw them and raised the alarm.”