A distraught governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has stated in clear terms that there would be dire consequences should herdsmen carry further attacks in the state.
Umahi, who could not hide his feelings, spoke when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo paid an assessment visit to the four communities attacked by the herdsmen last week.
The communities are in Ishielu local government area, and the number of victims in the attack was put at 27 by some witnesses. The affected communities are Nkalaha, Obegu, Amazu and Egedegede.
“What happened was these people divided themselves and were going towards the communities. So every Okada with the passenger was hacked down,” Umahi said in an address to Osinbajo.
The corpses of the victims of the Monday attack were said to have bullet wounds, deep machete cuts on the forehead, hands, and other parts of their bodies.
Many of them had their heads and hands chopped off, while their eyes were removed, witnesses said.
“Initially, they were using knives, so nobody knew what was happening until they got to the communities and that’s where they started shooting and that is the time the people got to know and the villagers mobilized and started pursuing them.
“If the government fails to do something, sir, it will be on record that the people did their best by providing this very vital information. The killers are not hidden. They are there sir with their pictures, the call logs.”
He said there would have been reprisal attacks by youths of the affected communities, but for the swift intervention of the state government through stakeholders able to calm the people.
Responding, Osibanjo appealed for patience from the people while the government looks into the matter. He promised that the government would bring those responsible for the attacks to justice.
