2 herdsmen arrested for butchering farmer in Ebonyi

Two Herdsmen whose names are yet to be identified at the time of filling this report were yesterday arrested by a joint security operatives for allegedly butchering a farmer at Akaeze community in Ivo Local government area of Ebonyi State.

The suspects were nabbed after some days of a clash between farmers and herdsmen which resulted to butchering of four persons.

Recall that the clash made the residents of the community to flee for fear of reprisal attacks from the herdsmen.

Briefing Journalists in Abakaliki, the secretary of Mytte-Allah, Alahaji Haladu Ismail said the arrest of the 2 herdsmen was a welcome development, adding that it will serve as a deterrent to other erring herdsmen who may think of causing trouble in the state.

He said: “Yes, It is true, there is a clash between farmers and herdsmen at Akaeze, Ivo Local government area.

“There is a 10-man committee that the governor formed to investigate the matter which included two DSS, 2 policemen, 2 army and 2 STA`s on Security as well as some members of myttee-Allah.

“We went there and arrested the 2 Fulani people that butchered a farmer and handed them over to the state police. The investigation is still on and we promised the governor that we must get into the root of the problem and to know what really happened.

“Now, the 2 Fulani herdsmen that butchered that farmer are in police custody”, he said.

Ismail who is also the technical adviser to governor David Umahi on herdsmen security further said that “because of what is happening now in Ebonyi state, we have reached a decision to get the numbers of all the Fulani herdsmen settlers in every local government area of the state, take their phone numbers, take their name, their locations and appoint a leader among them, so that if anything happens, we will hold their leaders responsible.

“We promised the governor that we will make sure that there is peaceful co-existence between farmers and Fulani herdsmen in the state”, he stated.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ebonyi state police command, Asp Loveth Odah said she was yet to verify the arrest.