On Friday, January 26, 2024, along the Ụmụezereokam Nekede – Avụ road that leads to the Port Harcourt Road, a young man (identity withheld for now) survived a kidnapping attempt by some suspected Fulani killer Herdsmen.
He was left with numerous life threatening Deep Cuts sustained as he fought off the attackers. He was rushed to a hospital by number 11 Bust Stop, Old Road, Nekede, Owerri West LGA where he’s currently receiving treatment.
The area and the forests surrounding the area has become a den for kidnappers and other killer Fulani herdsman gangs running various nefarious activities.
Recently, The Hunters and Forest guard outfit and others have made gruesome discoveries of dead bodies and personal items belonging to the victims of the Fulani’s kidnappers decomposed/Decomposing bodies, foot wears and many more were amongst the items recently discovered at one of such enclaves.
For Many Year’s, the indigenes advocated for the closure of the illegal shanty town that houses mostly Fulani people in the area between Avụ and Nekede and specifically within the space originally mapped out for the I’ll fated Rochas Era “Prisons Estate”.
The government didn’t listen to the people for a long time as they demanded a removal of the shanty town. Val ‘Frakas Mo’fire’ Amadi, a US based indigene of Ụmụezereokam Mekede and people’s advocate was among a host of people that lead efforts to close down the ShantyTowns as they were known heavily for housing kidnappers and criminals who were predominantly of the Fulani extraction. They made the shanty town a launchpad from where they conducted the criminal activities.
They eventually did remove the terrorist enclave but it was already too late for the good spirited people of the area.
It’s been reported that the criminal elements chased out of the shanty town made the surrounding forests around Avụ,, Nekede, Ihiagwa and Obinze their new home and from there, launched a series of kidnapping, terrorism and other criminal activities.
The residents have been complaining that it’s been a painful experience waiting on the government to help rid their forests and farmland of these killer Fulani Herdsmen.
The various communities in the area have organized themselves in groups of security outfits and trying to figh back these invaders. They’ve always hit stiff resistance as it’s reported that the Various security agents (The military and the police) in the areas are working hand in hand with them and providing the criminal protection instead of flushing them out of the forests.
People within the communities have been finding it very difficult to go to their farms and some have even been reportedly gone days without food for fear of these attacks in their farms.
A local vigilante gentleman (he asked that his identity be withheld, for his own protection) interviewed by our corespondent said, “We have the power to finish these people but the police and the Army are always releasing them when we catch them and even tell us not to do some things that we need to protect ourselves.
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