Monday, January 30, 2012

Wh.......at: Fulani herdsman chops off vulcaniser’s hand

Pandemonium gripped Akure, the Ondo State capital recently when a Fulani herdsman allegedly chopped off the right hand of a vulcaniser, Mr. Deji Adeleye in Akure during a misunderstanding. The incident, which occurred at Ayedun area of Akure recently threw the entire community into confusion as people feared possible attack from other Fulani herdsmen grazing their cows in the area.

Daily Sun gathered that the victim, a vulcaniser in Ayedun quarters and some carwash owners had warned the herdsmen several times to stop grazing their cows in their business premises. It was learnt that the herdsmen turned deaf ears and as a deliberate way of causing trouble the herdsmen changed their movement to the place from twice in a week to daily routine. Apparently angered by attitude displayed by the herdsmen after several warnings, Adeleye and other people chased the cows out of the area.

The herdsman, it was gathered who did not show any sign of annoyance when his cows was chased away later came back when many people had left the area and chopped off Adeleye’s hand with a sword. It was gathered that the Fulani herdsman wanted to behead Adeleye but the vulcaniser escaped by whickers as he used his right hand to block the herdsman’s sword.

An eyewitness and a relation to Adeleye, Olorunlogbon Ajayi quoted the victim to have said:  “The herdsman moved stealthily towards me and drew out his sword with the intention to behead me. I raised up my hand to protect my head, but had my hand chopped off.” The victim was rushed to a private hospital while the herdsman ran away when some youths around the area wanted to lynch him.

Efforts made by our correspondent to speak with Adeleye where he was receiving treatment proved abortive as security operatives did not allow visitors to gain access to him except few of his family members. The security agents, in a bid to prevent the victim from speaking with the newsmen moved him from the hospital to another private hospital within the Gbogi axis and only doctors and a nurse were allowed to have access to the victim’s room while the security operatives were giving the medical officers close monitoring so that they would not use any device to take the photograph of Adeleye.

Also efforts made to interview the wife of the victim when our correspondent approached the woman for comment proved abortive as the woman first denied being the victim’s wife but after much pressure she admitted being his wife but declined comment on the incident. It was further gathered that the herdsman had fled the area and all efforts made by the police and other security operatives to track him down had not yielded any positive result.
The state government had directed the security agents to manage the situation so that it would not degenerate into inter-tribal clash.

The victim, it was reliably gathered had also been promised N5 million as a compensation by some politicians in the state to start a new life after living the hospital.

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