Scores wounded , six critical as herdsmen invade Abia community

www.odogwublog.com reports that Fulani Herdsmen have invaded Ndi Okereke Abam in Ovukwu autonomous community of Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State.
The attack  left scores of the hapless villagers severely  wounded.
President General of the community, Chief Chukwuma Egbuta Okubi who narrated  the incident to www.odogwublog.com said six villagers are now in critical condition following severe machete cuts and gun shot wounds inflicted on them by the herdsmen.
Chief Okubi said trouble started when  one of the villagers went  to his rice farm only to observe that herdsmen had invaded the farm with their cows which were grazing on the heaps of the rice he had cut for processing.
He said that when the man confronted the herdsmen over the damage on his  crops, they instead of tendering apologies, attacked him.
His words:  “ On Friday afternoon when one of our men went to his rice farm with his family members to carry home harvested rice, he saw that the herdsmen had led their cattle to the heap of harvested rice where they fed.
“The plea of the farmer to the herdsmen to take the herd of cattle away from the rice fell on deaf ears as they rather drew their machete and gave several cuts on the man,” Okubi said.
He said that the family members of the man who had gone to the farm with him ran back to the village to raise alarm.
Irked by the reports, he continued,  youths of the village mobilized to the scene to see things for themselves, only to be also attacked by the rampaging herdsmen who were fully armed.
" On sighting the youths the herdsmen immediately opened fire on them and one of the youths escaped the bullet by God's grace. Others were given serious matches cuts", he agonized.
Okubi said the situation was saved by the timely arrival of the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade in the company of the State's Chairman of Herdsmen/ Farmers Peace Committee, and other policemen.
He said that the villagers no longer "sleep with their two eyes closed" because of incessant threats and continued destruction of their crops and farmlands by herdsmen with their cows.
Okubi alleged that the rampaging herdsmen even  "uproot our cassava and yam for their cows to eat."
“They left the grass they normally graze on to destroy the crops our only source of livelihood,” he lamented.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO) in the state, Mr. Ogbonnaya Nta, confirmed the incident but declined comments on the number of casualties.
He said that the Commissioner of Police was handling the matter and appealed for calm.