A farmer, identified as Cordelia Utazi, was allegedly hacked to death on her farm at Ugwujoro Nimbo, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State Monday.
The deceased, popularly known as Oyee Eze, was weeding her farm with her daughter, Onyinye, when suspected herdsmen attacked them, leading to her death.
Vanguard gathered that her daughter drew the attention of her late mother to the presence of the herdsmen, but sensing they were going to be attacked by the fast-approaching herdsmen, the young girl took to her heels and alerted other villagers.
A source, who participated in taking the dead body of the victim to the Faith Foundation Hospital in Nsukka metropolis told Vanguard, “They were weeding in the farm when her daughter looked up and saw herdsmen with their cattle on their farm.
“The daughter, Onyinye, saw the herdsmen moving very fast towards their direction and took to her heels.
“The mother, Cordelia Utazi, also wanted to run but the herdsmen shot her. When they got to where she was lying helpless, they used cutlass to cut off her hands.
”They equally used something to smash her skull.
“It was the daughter who ran to the village to inform others of what had happened to her mother.
“In that state of confusion, the villagers rushed to the scene and discovered the woman in a pool of her blood.
“Before they could reach there, the herders had disappeared into nearby bushes with their cattle.
“It was a terrible incident in our community.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman of Enugu State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, said the command has commenced investigation to fish out the hoodlums who allegedly murdered a middle-aged woman on her farm.
“Investigation has been launched to fish out the hoodlums, alleged to have murdered a middle-aged woman in Ugwujoro Nimbo, Uzo-Uwani LGA in the afternoon hours of 18/10/2021. Further development will be communicated,” he said.
Also, in his reaction, the South East chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, MACBAN, Gidado Siddiki, distanced members of his association from the attack, insisting that “there are no herdsmen at Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State as at today.”
While saying that those who carried out the attack are not members of his association, he added that not every herdsman seen in the bush is a member of MACBAN.
