Bloody Encounter with Fulani herdsmen in Delta

A recent attack occurred July 21, 2013 when  five armed Fulani herdsmen wielding fully loaded AK 47 rifles, ambushed a 14 seater Hiace bus, travelling from Onicha-Ugbo to Asaba, Delta state, dispossessing  the occupants of their belongings.

One of the occupants of the bus was Vanguard’s Foreign Affairs Editor,  Mr  Hugo Odiogor, who escaped death by the whiskers, following the merciless beatings they received from the herdsmen.

Narrating his ordeal, he said: “ It started like a dream as staccato of gun shots shattered the early morning peace and silence  penultimate Sunday. 

 I had attended the funeral of late Steve Osemeke,  former Director of Public Affairs of Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC who died on June 24, 2013 in Abuja.The funeral rites began on July 18th and ended on 20th, after he was committed to mother earth. Thereafter, the visiting parties began to depart. I had planned to return to Abuja enroute Asaba International Airport.

From  Onicha-Ugbo junction, I boarded a Delta coloured Hiace bus heading towards  Asaba/Onitsha at about 7.05am.The journey had lasted only twenty minutes when five Fulani herdsmen carrying AK 47 rifles jumped out from the bush at the Ubulu Okiti-Otulu end of the Asaba-Benin Expressway. They shattered the peace of this dewy Sunday morning with staccato of gun shots into the air to warn the driver and the occupants of the bus of  their intention to kill anybody that tries to offer resistance.

The gun shots elicited a general shout of “blood of Jesus” from the terrified occupants of the bus.

Each round of shootings was accompanied by a corresponding response of “blood of Jesus”.

With their patched up English language they ordered everybody to “bring out ya Money or i kill you”. They had their faces covered with charcoal, while their dresses and language obviously tells you that they are cattle rearers. They carried with them their sticks and machetes.

Culled from Vanguard News