As rampaging Fulani herdsmen take their bloodlust to Kogi State, a secondary school principal, Ojodale Philip, recalls how he barely survived during an attack on his school that left many killed.
Mr Philip, the Principal of Community Secondary School, Oganenigwu, said that the school came under heavy attack from the daredevil herdsmen around 8.30 am, leaving a trail of blood.
“I personally was shot at several times but nothing happened to me. In my hands are some of the bullets that were meant to kill me,” he said.
While the number of those that died from the carnage remains uncertain, some of the residents of the affected areas said that no fewer than 30 people lost their lives while several others were yet unaccounted for after a raid on Oganenigwu in Dekina Local Government Area by suspected herdsmen, The Nation writes.
The Oganenigwu Community Development Association claims over 200 people had been displaced, with many seeking refuge in neighbouring Anyigba, Egume and other communities.
“At present, nobody can say the exact number of casualties on both sides, because many families are yet to locate their relatives,” said a source.
The source added that the presence of security agents drafted to the troubled areas was yet to contain the situation.
Meanwhile, Governor Yahaya Bello in a press release Friday, expressed shock over the attack carried out on the people of Oganenigwu and other communities in the Kogi East Senatorial district.
The statement read: “The Kogi State Government ensured that the military, the police and other relevant security agencies, including members of the Kogi State Vigilante Services were immediately mobilised to the affected areas following the initial reports.
“The violence has since been contained and brought under control. The incident however remains under investigation while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the attackers and bring them to justice.
“His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State will conduct on the spot assessment of the distressed communities today.
“He will meet with security chiefs and community leaders after which more information will be forthcoming, based on available facts.
Source – The Nation
