By Adibe Emenyonu
Suspected herdsmen last Sunday kidnapped and killed a United States of American-based Nigerian from Fugar in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State, Prince Dennis Eloniyo Abuda, after collecting ransom.
Abuda was said to have been abducted last Saturday with two of his family members, who were travelling with him to Lagos as they were expected to catch their flight to the United States of America, and was killed last Sunday.
According to a family member, Abuda was killed because he could not walk fast enough into the bush while the two others were released.
The family source said: “After killing him, they proceeded with the ransom negotiation and got the money. This is so sad! What a reason to kill a fellow human being.”
It was also gathered that the decomposed body of Abuda was discovered inside the bush on the Benin-Ore road.
Meanwhile, Uromi women in Esan North-east Local Government Area of the state yesterday protest against what they described as criminal activities of the Fulani herdsmen, who they said are engaged in killing, kidnapping and raping of women and girls in the area.
The protest temporarily disrupted vehicular movement along the busy road in the area that connects travellers coming from the northern part of Nigeria to the east.
The women in their hundreds, who blocked the road, accused the Fulani herdsmen of not only killing, kidnapping and raping of their women and girls, but also destroying their crops in the farms
Leader of the protesting women, Mrs. Rosemary Ordia, said: “We are tired of kidnapping in our community by Fulani herders. They don’t only kidnap our people, they rape our girls and women, others take their cows to our farms to eat and destroy our crops. How can we be living in our community and we are still afraid? It has never been like this in the history of this place.”
When contacted, the Edo State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chidi Nwabuzor, said: “If it is the one that happened by the bypass, the command is fully aware and the Commissioner of Police personally led operatives to the scene this (yesterday) morning and they are still in the forest to actively comb the bush.”
However, speaking of the protest, the traditional ruler of Uromi, HRH Anselm Aidenojie, said: “Yes, the activities of the criminal herdsmen are worrisome. They kidnap our people, rape the women, maim and commit a lot of havoc. They don’t allow the people go to their farms anymore, so their activities are terrible. But that does not mean that there are no good Fulani people because they have been living with us in peace in our kingdom.”
The Uromi monarch described the set of Fulani people engaged in criminal activities as the strange ones not known to the people.
As the way forward, he said the best option was to encourage the community vigilante to support the police.
According to him, “We condemn in its entirety the activities of these herdsmen, but we are handicapped. We are trying to encourage the vigilante and support the police, and that is the best we can do. We cannot tell our people to take up arms.
“I have asked the women to remain calm that I will communicate their grievances to the appropriate quarters. I have spoken to the DPO and the Area Commander, and will also reach out to the governor to let him know the situation we have at hand.”
