A group of men suspected to be herdsmen has abducted a farmer identified as Edith Lawrence and inflicted injury on several persons, including another farmer, Blessing Chimele.
The incident happened on Thursday in Ihuoba community in the Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.
A source from the area told News men that the herdsmen led their cattle into the victims’ farm, adding that when the women raised the alarm, one of them was kidnapped while others were injured.
It was gathered that the herdsmen attacked some inhabitants of the community with daggers, bow and arrow before they made away with Blessing, whose whereabouts remained unknown.
“The herdsmen allowed their cows to roam into people’s farms and when the women, who were working in their farms, saw what was happening, they began to shout and called people to help them.
“The herdsmen attacked some of the people that came to the place. Community people were attacked with daggers, bows and arrows. Many were injured. One of the farmers, Blessing Chimele, was injured.
“Also, one woman (Edith Lawrence) was kidnapped by the herdsmen. As we speak, there is no news about the woman’s whereabouts. She has not been released,” the source, who simply identified himself as James, added.
James explained that some of the inhabitants of the community, mostly women, later embarked on a peaceful protest along the East-West Road axis of Ahoada East, calling for the release of Blessing.
He said the women were angry as a result of the destruction of their farms by herdsmen, who fed their cattle with the crops on their farmland.
Another community member said, “Some women were rushed to the hospital after the attack. They (women) have gone to some of our leaders, telling them that the herdsmen were feeding their cattle with crops from their farms.
“These herdsmen attacked the community people with arrows and dagger. Now, we have yet to get the number of people that were attacked because some people ran into the bush. We are still searching.
One Dorathy Ifeanyi, a resident of the area, said the herdsmen also attacked neighbouring villages, adding that many women were affected.
“They broke my pot and the maize I bought for N16,000 were destroyed.”
