Hold Miyetti Allah, Police responsible over attack, poverty in our Enugu community – victim

PHIL OKOSE, Onitsha

A victim of Fulani herdsmen attack and farm crops destruction who hails from Akama-Oyaa community, Eziagu Local Government Area, Enugu state, Mmadubuko Ekene Augustine, has lamented the attack on his people and destruction of farm lands which have rendered them poor, stating that the leadership of the Fulani herdsmen, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, and the police should be held responsible for the attack and destruction.

To buttress his claim he cited December 11th 2019, when the herdsmen invaded his father’s farm with cows and ate up the crops despite his father’s plea for them to remove the cows from his farm and the father reported the matter to Akama Police station but the police did nothing.

“Five days later they invaded Mrs. Emenike Amaka’s farmland with their cows and as she used stick to chase the cows away she was beaten to death and when the matter was reported to the police they pledged to investigate but did nothing till date.

“Also, on August 5th, 2020, my dad and myself, born June 1st, 1993, were in my father’s farm cultivating and preparing to harvest our farm produce when the herdsmen invaded our farms with their cows and as I pleaded with them to depart they refused which prompted me to rush to the police and make a report.

“The Police came with me to the scene and saw my dad seriously injured but was saved by the timely intervention of the villagers. I contacted our local vigilante group and they arrested two of the herdsmen with seven cows and handed them over to the police.

“A day later I received a threatening call from one Mohammed who claimed to be chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association who gave me 72 hours ultimatum to release those arrested with their cows or be killed. I became afraid and reported the matter to the police but nothing happened.

“Three days later I was in a bus-stop when  a car suddenly parked beside me and the occupants kidnapped me into the car and the next place I saw myself was in the forest where I was beaten to coma and  then I was found by our vigilante group and taken to our community Health Centre where I regained consciousness.

“A week after I was discharged, I received another threatening call from Mohammed that my life will be used to replace a dead cow in police custody and I reported the threat to the police and the police did not act.

“Because they wanted me dead, in 2021, I ran away to squat with a friend, Emeka Aniako, in Lagos and on February 2nd, 2023, I received another call from Mohammed telling me that he has tracked me to Lagos and that I will be picked by his boys to pay for cows that died in police custody.

“True to his threat, five days later armed youths stormed our Lagos apartment and my friend and I escaped through the back door. I reported the matter to the police and the police came with us to the apartment and saw how it was ransacked but did nothing.

“With the advice of my friend to save my life, he called me, “Mmadubuko Ekene Augustine”, and I answered, he said,” run away if you can”, I procured a visiting visa for Canada, and on April 19, 2023, my visiting visa was approved and I bought flight ticket and departed for Canada,” he stated.

For a better society

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