Okowa: Military Accompanied Suspected Herdsmen In Killing 8 Persons

[Edoman]

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has decried renewed attacks by suspected herdsmen in Avwon, Agadama, Ohoror and other communities of Uwheru Kingdom, Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.

According to Okowa, suspected herdsmen accompanied by unidentified armed personnel attacked the communities in what has become an annual routine, killing over eight persons and injured many others.

He said the crisis started on Thursday and as of Saturday, lives and property, including farms, had perished.

The governor said, “The unwarranted attacks and killing of innocent locals in Avwon, Agadama and Ohoror communities of Uwheru Kingdom in Ughelli North Local Government Area and the wickedness of suspected herdsmen alleged to be aided and abetted by unidentified military personnel are mindless.

“I, however, appeal to the affected communities to remain calm and peaceful. I commiserate with the communities and families on the unfortunate loss of their loved ones.

“I have directed the Commissioner of Police and the Brigade Commander, 63 Brigade, Nigerian Army, to rise to the occasion and bring the culprits to justice.

“As a state, our people have been very receptive to herdsmen and other visitors, but our hospitality and welcoming disposition should not be taken as an act of cowardice.

“The state government will continue to encourage peaceful and harmonious relations between Deltans and their visitors but will not watch outsiders attack and kill our people any longer.”

https://punchng.com/military-personnel-accompanied-suspected-herdsmen-in-killing-eight-persons-in-delta-okowa/amp/

[Edoman]

Soldiers who accompanied herdsmen to kill Deltans were released boko haram

opera.com
Feb 17, 2020 



Ughelli community is boiling after some herdsmen came with soldiers to attack the community killing about 14 residents and wounding many. Delta state governor who visited the place lamented that serving soldiers came with the herdsmen who destroyed the communities such avwon, uwheru and so many others. Some of them were arrested. Further interrogation revealed that they were actually soldiers who were recruited recently from ex insurgents by the federal government.


The damages done on the affected communities were enormous as residents lamented their ordeals. Farms, buildings and lives were lost and thousands were displaced. However, the governor assured the people that the police will handle the issues and that the government will do everything to ease the plights of the affected persons. The governor also sympathized with the affected persons and urged everyone of them to be law abiding, and not to take laws into their hands.

[Edoman]

8 corpses of farmers killed by suspected herdsmen is exhumed in Delta for investigation







The corpses of eight farmers reportedly killed by suspected herdsmen at Uwheru in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, last Friday, have been exhumed for investigation.
 
The corpses were exhumed by a search team made up of police personnel and representatives of the community. Two of the corpses were exhumed on Sunday, while six others were exhumed on Monday afternoon, February 17.
 
On the same day the victims’ corpses were exhumed, the community confirmed reports that two others killed were burnt to ashes by the herdsmen.
 
One of those burnt to ashes was identified as Itoje Dennis from Otor-Iyede in Isoko North local government area of Delta State. He has since been taken to his hometown for burial.
 

Itoje Dennis
 
The killings drew the ire of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU. The union, while condemning the renewed herdsmen attacks on Uwheru villages, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the killings of the people.
 
President-General of the community, Cassidy Akpedafe, and the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Hafiz Inuwa, had on Sunday, February 16, disagreed on the reported killings. The police boss claimed the killings did not happen and that some individuals in the state were using the reports to cause apprehension in the state.
 
The CP added: "If there are any (deaths), why are their corpses being hidden from the police?"
 
But the community’s President-General accused the police commissioner of being economical with the truth.
 
Consequently, on Sunday afternoon, members of the community exhumed the corpses of two of those killed in the attack to prove the police wrong.
 
The corpses were taken to Central Hospital, Ughelli for autopsy.
 
Vanguard reports seeing the decomposing corpses of the duo when they visited the hospital morgue yesterday, with one of them burnt after he was said to have been shot dead by the assailants.
 
The community president-general said to the publication on Monday morning, Feb 17: "As we speak, seven persons are lying dead inside the bush and we are yet to recover their corpses.
 
"17 persons have been rushed to the hospital for medical treatment and I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the police not to cook up reports on this matter."
 
Meanwhile, a security source from the 222 battalion, Agbarha-Otor, also told Vanguard yesterday that two of its men were shot during the attack.
 
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: "Yes, two soldiers from the battalion who are stationed at Bomadi and drafted to the area sustained injuries during the incident.
 
"They are in stable condition and are currently receiving medical attention for injuries sustained during the incident at Bomadi General hospital."

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[Edoman]

Bodies exhumed after ‘herdsmen’ attacks in Delta community
• Police: we’re investigating
February 19, 2020

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No fewer than nine bodies have been exhumed across communities in Uwheru kingdom, Ughelli North council of Delta State following suspected herdsmen attacks last Thursday and Friday.

The Nation learned that the bodies were buried in shallow graves, three of which discovered Sunday evening.

Security agencies had demanded to see the bodies of those alleged to have been slaughtered in the renewed attacks on five communities.

It was gathered that a team of security operatives and members of the community discovered more shallow graves on Monday while searching for bodies of victims allegedly killed by the herdsmen.

The bodies were said to have been taken to the Police Area Command Ughelli in three trucks at about 7:30pm on Monday before they were moved to the morgue at the Central Hospital, Ughelli, for autopsy.

The state Commissioner for Higher Education, Professor Patrick Muoboghare, who hails from the area, confirmed the development.

He claimed two more bodies were yet to be found.

“Six bodies were exhumed today under supervision of soldiers and policemen. The six bodies are now being deposited at the mortuary at Ughelli. Gory pictures will follow later.

“Total number so far is nine. Two more bodies are yet to be found. The search continues tomorrow (Tuesday),” the professor stated in a phone conversation, late Monday.

Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa told The Nation, “Yes, corpses were exhumed by the community people and they brought them to the police station. That is the information I got. We are now going to find out how it all happened.

“Who buried them, who exhumed them, when were they buried, circumstances that led to the deaths, by whom and who must have buried them without reporting the matter. We are investigating because we cannot just see things like this and keep quiet. A lot of questions must be asked,” he said.