Fulani herdsmen turn on each other in Owerri as dispute over cows leads to brutal stabbing

TWO Fulani herdsmen turned on each other in the town of Agbala in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State stabbing each other brutally leading to them having to be rushed to the nearby Owerri Federal Medical Centre.

Apparently, the incident started after one herdsman stabbed the other and other Fulanis then responded by descending on the attacker, stabbing him repeatedly. Thanks to the intervention of local people, however, the feud was stopped and the two injured herdsmen were rushed to the emergency unit of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri owing to the severity of the injuries they sustained.

One eyewitness said: “What happened was that a Fulani herdsman had gone into the bush, where his kinsman and his cows were staying. While the man in the bush was sleeping, his kinsman stabbed him mercilessly and left with the victim’s cows thinking that he was dead.

“However, another Fulani herdsman, who was in the bush, quickly alerted the other herdsmen. They monitored his movement until reinforcements arrived and the other herders first recovered the stolen cows before stabbing him repeatedly.”

He added that would be a miracle if the two survive as their conditions were said to be critical. Yesterday, the development caused a gridlock along the Owerri-Aba Road after policemen from the Agbala Police Division rushed the herders to hospital following a distress call from the villagers.