Tragedy struck in Ofagbe community at the weekend when a 30-year-old
palm wine tapper was killed and one other person was severely injured by
suspected Fulani herdsmen in the community in Isoko North local
government area, Delta State.
The palm wine tapper, who was
identified as Mr. Japhet Inibu, was killed while trying to collect palm
wine in a nearby bush along the community’s road to Ashaka in Ndokwa
East local government area of the state.
Following the
development, the Oletu-logbo of the Ofagbe Kingdom, Othuke Omejedo,
while addressing newsmen, said: “One woman ran to me to say that as she
was going to the market, she met the lifeless body of a man lying on the
ground on the road leading to Ashaka. She said another one was
injured”.
He said the body of the deceased had been deposited in a
mortuary at Ozoro, while the injured, Mr. Thompson Ogege, had been
taken to a nearby hospital. Omejedo said the injured victim disclosed to
them that they were accosted by the Fulani herdsmen, who opened fire on
them as they were tapping their palm wine, leaving his counterpart
instantly dead.
He said, “We have never had any problem with the
herdsmen because they have not been living in this community, neither
have they been accepted into the community because of their past
tendencies.”
Speaking to our correspondent, the vice president of
the Ofagbe community, Hon. Emmanuel Akpokiro, expressed dissatisfaction
with the development, saying it was a terrible news and called on the
state government to quickly come to their rescue to avoid further
misfortune as Ofagbe community is a peace loving one.
The police
public relations officer in the state, Mrs. Celestina Kalu, confirmed
the incident, saying that the police were on top of the situation with a
view to arresting the culprits.
She said, “The police are working
hard to arrest the suspected killers of the palm wine tapper and we
shall do our best to bring the culprits to book”.
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