Umutanze Youths on the Run Following Deadly Clash with Fulani Herdsmen.
By Chiemeka Obinna
Tension continues to rise in Umutanze Community, Orlu LGA, as several youths are reportedly on the run following a violent incident that occurred on August 12, 2022. The crisis began when Elder Nicholas Ntiwunka Onyenwere was brutally murdered on his farm, alongside several women and children who were also attacked while working on their farmlands. The attacks were allegedly carried out by Fulani herdsmen.
In response to the killings, aggrieved youths from the community – particularly those directly affected by the loss of family members — launched a retaliatory action. According to reports, with the support of their kinsmen, the youths were empowered to kill any cow found within the vicinity. In what many have described as a revenge mission, all cows within the area were reportedly slaughtered.
Eyewitness accounts gathered by journalists who visited the scene reveal that Mr. Ntiwunka Paschal Chinasa, son of the slain elder, was among those who led the retaliatory attack on the herdsmen’s cattle.
In a tragic escalation of events, the Fulani herdsmen allegedly launched a reprisal attack on the village, killing anyone in sight. Their aim, according to reports, was to capture Paschal Chinasa and other youths involved in the earlier retaliation. However, they were reportedly unable to find their targets, who had gone into hiding.
A local eyewitness condemned the herdsmen’s attack, stating that nothing can justify the taking of human lives over cattle. “Human lives are far more valuable than cows,” the source said.
Reacting to the incident, the councillor representing the ward denounced the killings, describing them as heinous acts perpetrated by dangerous elements — including individuals claiming to be members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) and Fulani herdsmen. He urged residents to remain calm and assured the public that efforts were underway to identify and apprehend those responsible. “No one is above the law,” he emphasized, “and no one has the right to take the law into their own hands.”
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
The opinions expressed except where they originate from benudechukwu.com, represent the views of such authors. BENUDECHUKWU.COM shall not be held liable for such personal views as canvassed.
