Miyetti Allah Disowns Herdsmen Over Killing of Female Farmer in Enugu

• Herdsmen kill female farmer in Enugu, Miyetti Allah denies attacks
• The incident in Awha-Ndiagu occurred on Saturday

Ekohotblog reports that some suspected Fulani herdsmen are said to have murdered one person and injured another after attacking Ugwujoro Nimbo in the Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area and Awha-Ndiagu in Enugu state’s Ezeagu LGA.

The incident in Awha-Ndiagu occurred on Saturday, when a young man, Celestine Obieze, was hacked to death on her farm, while the attack in Nimbo occurred on Monday, when a lady, Cordelia Utazi, was hacked to death on her farm.

According to PUNCH, a community leader, Mr Ibe Caleb, said Obieze was assaulted while weeding his farm but was saved by neighbors when his wife saw him in a pool of blood on the field and informed everyone.

“At the time our people went to the farm, he was in a coma; he could barely talk. He was butchered with machetes in the back and one of his fingers was lost before he was rushed to a hospital,” he added.

The late Cordelia, popularly known as Oyee Eze, was reportedly killed while working on her farm with her daughter, Onyinye.

A community leader, who did not want his name in print, said her remains were deposited at the Faith Foundation Hospital mortuary in the Nsukka metropolis.

He said, “The deceased and her daughter were weeding the farm when her daughter looked up and saw Fulani herdsmen with their cattle on their farm. The daughter saw the herdsmen moving very fast in their direction and took to her heels. The mother, Cordelia Utazi, also wanted to run, but the herdsmen shot her. When they got to where she was lying helplessly, they used cutlasses to cut off her hands. They equally used something to smash her skull.

“It was the daughter who ran to the village to inform others of what happened to her mother. In that state of confusion, the villagers rushed to the scene and found the woman in a pool of blood.

“Before they could reach there, the herders had disappeared into nearby bushes with their cattle.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, said the state command had commenced investigation to fish out the hoodlums. Although he could not confirm the attack in Ezeagu.

Ndukwe said, “Investigation has been launched to fish out the hoodlums alleged to have murdered a middle-aged woman in Ugwujoro Nimbo.”

However, the South East Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, said his members were not responsible for the attacks.

He said, “There are no herdsmen at Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State as of today.”