Aggrieved people of the Uduophori community in Patani Local Government Area of Delta State on Tuesday barricaded the East-West road in protest against the amputation of a 28-year-old resident by suspected killer herdsmen said to have besieged the locality.
For several hours, the protesters halted vehicular movement from Bomadi and other neighbouring coastal communities as they laid siege on the only access road.
It was gathered that the victim, Mr Freedom Akpodiete, a commercial motorcycle rider and father of two, was attacked with a machete by the suspected herders while he was conveying a passenger to the Uduophori community.
Angered by the development, the protesters, displaying leaves and placards called on the authorities to wade in, as a matter of urgency, as they lamented the hardship they are going through in the hands of the invading herdsmen.
They averred that many residents have been stopped from going to their farms as a result of the recurring attacks from the herders.
Inscriptions on their placards included ‘President Tinubu, rescue us from Fulani herdsmen killings;’ ‘Come and rescue us from herdsmen bondage;’ ‘Fulani leave us alone, stop raping our wives, women and daughters;’ ‘Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, come and rescue us from herdsmen bondage,’ among others.
The President-General of Uduophori community, Mr ThankGod Ado while addressing journalists on behalf of the protesters expressed grave concern over what he referred to as the recurring attacks on residents by killer herdsmen.
He said, “We are protesting as a result of this yearly and regular presence of herdsmen in our community and forests.
“What prompted this particular protest was the recent attack on one of our brothers who had one of his hands amputated by suspected Fulani herdsmen, after he was dragged into the forest.
“We are not happy and we are saying ‘enough is enough.’ As peace-loving and law-abiding people, we do not want a situation where the government would sit down to allow these invading herdsmen to kill us.
“Our wives can no longer go to their farms because of the incessant attacks, rape and ransom payment.
“Also, our planted cassava are uprooted and given to their cows. At times, they would come to the community to burgle stores of petty traders and cart away foodstuffs.
“Whenever they accost our people on their farms, they would send their husbands home to go and bring money, and before they return, the women would have raped the women.
“We say ‘no’ to continued harassment from these herdsmen and we are calling on the federal, state and local governments to come to our rescue from these terrible people.”
The chairman of the Motorcycle/Keke riders in the community, Mr. Henry Emaduku said, “In 2023, the herdsmen attacked one our brothers, Oghenegarhe Asadera, and his hand was amputated.
“And in 2024, they attacked the head teacher of the public school in the community. In this year 2025, they also attacked Mr Akpodiete and amputated his hand after collecting his Android phone and an unspecified amount of money.
“As I am speaking with you now, our primary school in the community has been taken over by herdsmen and the school is currently shut before this recent attack on our brother and me being the chairman of the motorcycle/keke riders, I am calling on the government to save us from herdsmen’s continued attack.”
Also speaking, 75-year-old Pa Benjamin Obotorino held that “for over 15 years, residents have been under the bondage of Fulani herdsmen.
“They would come to Uduophori with their cows to destroy our crops. Their cows no longer eat grass as they feed on our cassava, yams and other cash crops. We are tired of their continued killing, raping and maiming of our people.”
The community women leader, Mrs London Edith, speaking amidst sobs, lamented that the residents are now made strangers in their land and called for urgent assistance from the government and all other relevant authorities.
(Punch)
