A Fulani herdsman (name withheld) Tuesday, reportedly raped a 14-year-old girl from Umuifi community, Anioma-Isu in Onicha local government area of Ebonyi State.
The victim, Favour Okugbo, a student of Union secondary school, Agueke-Isu in the area, had been taken to an undisclosed medical facility for treatment.
Confirming the incident, Festus Nwachukwu, the Chairman of the community, condemned the activities of Fulani herdsmen in Umuifi Anioma-Isu community as a threat to the agricultural revolution of the state considering how the herdsmen had been destroying their farm produce and threatening the peaceful coexistence of the Onicha people.
According to him, even though the suspect has been arrested by the police, the act that was committed by the Fulani herdsman is an abomination to our land and we are going to carrying out a cleansing ceremony on the land so that it will remain fertile.
“The Fulani herdsmen are destroying our farms; if you want to talk to them they will threaten you with knives; our major occupation is farming; we can no more farm because of this menace; they are fond of using their cows to destroy our farmlands and crops.
“The government policies on agriculture are being threatened in Onicha local government area. I came back from church on Sunday, April 9 and learnt that this girl was raped by a Fulani when she went to the farm to get vegetables; and that if she had refused he would have killed her; he used the knives to beat her on the back and then raped her.
“What has happened is an abomination in our land; the man has damaged the fertility of the land and we are going to use cows, fowls, cartons of beers and palm wine to bless the land.”
Narrating her ordeal, Favour Okugbo who said she has been sad over the incident called on the state government to look into the activities of Fulani herdsmen in Umuifi community in order to avert any negative episode involving young girls in the near future.
“I went to the farm to fetch vegetables when I was attacked by a Fulani herdsman. He came to our farm with his cows and cross the cow around; he asked me if am with water and food, I said no; he now went and got more cows to surround me; he told me that if I allow him to have s3x with him, that he will give me N700. I refused and started running away. He chased me and used the back of his cutlass on my back so I fell and he raped me.
“I feel sad; I want the government to come to my aid as young girls like me are no longer safe to go the farm and help our parent; government should make sure the arrested Fulani herdsman is prosecuted according to the law. Every Fulani herdsman with bad intention should be meant to leave our land.”
Reacting, a member of the State Committee on Herdsmen, Mr. Amechi Oken who extolled Governor David Umahi for putting machinery in place to checkmate the excesses of herdsmen in the state added that the committee usually visit locations where skirmishes between herdsmen and farmers occur in order to proffer solution.
As at the time of this report, ASP Loveth Oda, the State Police Public Relations Officer, denied knowledge of the incident, promising to carry out further investigation.
