By CHARLES IWUOHA

Unknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen in the early hours of Sunday attacked some Ebonyi communities, killing no fewer than 30 persons.

The gunmen attacked Odoke, Ndiobasi and Obakotara communities both in Ebonyi Local Government Area.

Sources in the area said the gunmen struck the three communities around 3am.

The communities share boundary with Ado Local Government Area in Benue State.

A resident in the area, Uchenna Okpokwu, said the herdsmen invaded with guns and machetes.

He said: “They came into Ndiobasi village and started slaughtering the people. After slaughtering them, they entered Odoke, from that Odoke, they went to Obapta.

“Currently, people that were slaughtered in Ndiobasi are up to 30 according to the video clips on the incident but Odoke and Obapta are very far and nobody was able to entered those two villages to capture those that were killed.

“When I received call from one of my villagers over the attack, he told me that the herdsmen are currently at Ojaba forest and that place is their hideout because there is no other way for them to escape.

“The herdsmen are currently in that forest as at the time I was called on phone”

“I was told our local government Chairman went with some security men but couldn’t get to the affected villages. If there is a way security agents will be sent to the affected villages, it will be good.

“Currently, I have been trying to reach my family members on phone but their lines are not through and all of them are in the village.”

Another resident, Onyibe Jeremiah, lamented no action was taken to protect the communities despite earlier warnings of the impending attacks.

He said: “One young man from Enugu state that saw the herdsmen when they were coming into the Ebonyi villages made the voice call that went viral to alert the state but it appears that it was ignored which was why these attacks were recorded despite the alert.

“Nobody took that voice serious and the herdsmen came and killed not less than 30 people now. They are currently attacking more villages”

The Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT) confirmed that two children were killed while being taken to the hospital for treatment.

It said it has scrambled a team to the area to help in treatment and evacuation of victims.

“Terrible scenes at Ohagelode Health Center this morning. An attack on an Izzi village inside Benue State, allegedly by herdsmen, resulted in many casualties.

“Many were carried all the way to Ohagelode Health Center. The Uloanwu Ambulance was called and eleven 11 person’s, six adults and five children, were transported to AEFUTHA in Abakaliki.

“Sadly two children already died after reaching AEFUTHA. An AMURT team of doctors, lead by Dr. Omogo, the MD of AMURT has rushed to Ohagelode. We are trying to support the wounded carried to AEFUTHA, the statement by AMURT West Africa,” the statement said.

Chairman of Ebonyi Local Government Area, Chinyere Nwaogbaga, confirmed the incident.

She said she went to the area and helped to evacuate many of the residents from the area to hospital.

“Yes, the communities are Izzi (a clan in Ebonyi) speaking communities but they are geographically located in Benue. Since they are indigenes of Ebonyi though located in Benue, the State governor directed we go and bring them to hospital and treat them and also give them relive materials,” the LG boss said.

She said more buses have been sent to the area by the local government, Ebonyi Speaker and the State Government to evacuate more victims.

In a statement by Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Ebonyi State Command, DSP Loveth Odah, denied the killing.

She said: “The attention of the Ebonyi State Police Command has been drawn to the pictures/news items in circulation on some social media platforms misinforming the reading public that a village in Ebonyi local government area of Ebonyi state was under herdsmen attack.

“To set the records straight, the information reaching the command has it that the attack happened at Nwori Ndobasi and Odoke villages In Ado local government area of Benue State in the early hours of today Sunday.

“As it were, today is their market day so traders from Ebonyi LGA crossed over to buy and sale as had been the practice over the years and were caught in the cross fire during the attack.

“There was no attack on any village in Ebonyi LGA as widely reported on some social media platforms and other conventional media outlets.

“Consequently, the Commissioner of Police Ebonyi State CP ALIYU GARBA implores the good people of Ebonyi State and the general public to disregard the news of an attack in a village under Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state and go about their lawful businesses as the Command has emplaced adequate security measures to ensure the safety of lives and property.”

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