…As residents scamper for safety
The high pitch terror and menace unleashed on the people of South-East and South-South Nigeria by Fulani herders and/militia came to heads following their recent attacks on Calabar communities in Cross River state.
The latest attack of the Fulani Cattle rearers, commonly known as Fulani militia or herders, because of their reckless acts of killing non Muslims is the invasion of the sleeping Ikot Omini community.
Many residential Estates in the area were said to have been severely attacked at nights by the miscreants.
Nigeria Newspoint gathered that many residential homes had been walloped and invaded with property worth millions of Naira vandalised and stolen.
Our reporter’s investigation showed that some of the residents whose homes and property were destroyed and looted on the fateful day, June 23, 2023 included: Elder Umoren Etuk, Evans Otuben, Engr.Vincent Mmuoegbulam, Deaconess Jennifer Philips and others.
The homes of these different families were invaded at night while the occupants were deep asleep,it was gathered.
The invasion of the Mmuoegbulam family home stood out as the damage was quite huge amongst residents in the entire estate: their car and building were terrificliy walloped.
Our reporter also gathered that the Fulani herders invaded the compound of the Mmuoegbulam family in lkot Omini through the bush along the popular Tinapa road, Calabar.
Investigation further revealed that the embattled family : Engr. Vincent, his wife, Oluchi, daughter, Ann and other children hail from Imo state but were resident in Calabar; while Vincent is said to be an Engineer, his wife teaches in a higher institution in the state.
It was further gathered that the armed Fulani herders who repeatedly stormed the state invaded the said compound at night while the family members were asleep.
The Mmuoegbulam family compound is situated besides a bushy path from where their home was reportedly invaded, the fateful night.
A source who spoke under anonymity disclosed that the assailants usually strike and attack residents in the sleeping Omini community, sometimes shooting sporadically in the air, terrorising the entire area.
“These Fulani people have been invading this Ikot Omini Community for months now, but sometime in June, this year their attacks had become intense and terrifying because many residents’ homes have been invaded. the situation had become quite hopeless because of the geographical location of the area,being off the city centre.”, he explained.
According to further investigation , the same Fulani herdsmen in their numbers often besieged the area by jumping through fenced premises in the wee hours of the night, attacked and robbed people of many valuable property worth thousands of Naira.
The hoodlums were reported to have vandalised Mrs Mmuoegbulam’s Car, breaking into it via the back door Windscreen and carted away most valuables inside.
Clothes, teaching materials, Laptop and car batteries were reportedly stollen from the house.
The Mmuoegbulams were said to have noticed the degree of vandalisation,the next morning with a lot of fear and anxiety.
It was said that the family reported the matter to the head of Omini community, Chief Omin Edim Omin, and later reported same to the North West Police Station at Ikot Omin.
Our reporter disclosed that the devastating incident traumatised and unsettled the family so highly, consequent upon which they decided to outrightly leave the state as fast as they could.
Investigation also showed that the Fulani herders kept invading the community, parading pretentiously with their cows in the Omini community,after the June invasion forcing other residents to leave the area with their families.
The series of complaints to the police and local leaders of the community, it was gathered could not stop the serial attacks.
As at Press time the where abouts of the said psychologically traumatised Mmuoegbulam family was not known by neighbours many of whom attested to making serious plans also to desert the area for safety.
According to another source,” I think they had to relocate based on the Fulani men’s incessant attacks which was seizeless because of the ineptitude of the security operatives”.
