Horror: How Herdsmen Invaded Kogi Community, Attacked and Kill 10 Farmers

According to Sunday Punch report, no less than ten people were reportedly killed on Friday when herdsmen invaded Omala in Kigi East and Omi in Yagba West local council, Kogi State.

The state police command, however, claimed that only two persons were killed by "unknown gunmen."

According to an eyewitness, who spoke to Sunday Punch on Saturday, some herdsmen invaded Ogabifo village near Agbenema community in Omala local council.

The source said they invaded a farmland with their cattle and fed the livestock with produce from the farm. When the owner of the farm and his members of his confronted the herdsmen, they were attacked and chased to the village where about 10 people were killed.

It was further gathered that after attacking the villagers, the herdsmen went back to the farm and destroyed it.

The herdsmen were said to have also invaded other farms in Yagba West local council.

Sunday Punch learnt that herdsmen with over 30 cattle invaded a rice farm owned by a woman in Omi, destroyed the rice farm and chased other farmers away from their farms.

Speaking on the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, William Aya, said, "I can confirm that (only) two people were killed by unknown gunmen."

He said the state Commissioner of Police, Ali Janga, had ordered "full investigations" into the killings.

Governor Yahaya Bello had last week said he would not introduce an anti-grazing law to curtail the activities of herdsmen in the state.

The governor, during a meeting with the Miyyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and the Farmers Association in Kogi State, had urged everyone to live in peace.

In a related development, the Secretary, MACBA, Plateau State chapter, Abdulahi Ardo, on Saturday, stated that most violent conflicts were perpetrated by youths taking illegal drugs.

Also, the state Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria in the state, John Azi, who was represented by Wuyep, expressed worry that the takeover of grazing reserves for infrastructure development and agriculture was responsible for the herdsmen/farmers hostility.

The duo stated their positions at the end of a two-day training organised by the Search for Common Ground for journalists from Nasarawa, Plateau and Kaduna states, as well as the leaderships of AFAN and MACBA.