Governor Willie Obiano of Enugu state shedding tears as he visited Opanda-Nimbo, Enugu
After the mass slaughter of innocent Enugu farmers by Fulani herdsmen who attacked the village of Opanda-Nimbo in Enugu State, eyewitnesses have recounted what truly happened and how the killers celebrated while cutting the throat of the people. Eyewitnesses who experienced the evil bloodbath that took place on April 25, 2016 when Fulani herdsmen invaded Opanda-Nimbo, Enugu and slaughtered hundreds have recounted the ugly incident.
According to a Punch report, the witnesses revealed that the Fulani-herdsmen who slaughtered their people celebrated while cutting the throats of the villagers.
Narrating the incident, the traditional ruler of Nimbo, Chief John Akor said, “The killing happened in three villages out of the 10 villages that make up Nimbo. The villages are Ugu Echera, Ngwoko and Unasi.
One of the villagers who luckily survived
“The attack happened between 6.30am and 7.30am that day when we started getting distress calls, suggesting that herdsmen were attacking our people in the three villages.
“The herdsmen were killing most of their victims by slitting their throats with machetes and swords. They were even celebrating the massacre. Our people were slaughtered like fowls and yet, nobody has been arrested to account for such evil.
“Many people fled the community to neighbouring communities of Nsukka, Adani, Mkpologu and others.
“What I’m sure of is this: 12 persons died on that day and one died yesterday (Wednesday) at the last count. Many are still in hospital with serious injuries.
“One Holy Christ Church (Odozi Obodo) was burnt. The pastor’s house was also burnt.
“We have the names of those killed but we can’t release them to the press now because there will be a judicial panel on the issue; there will also be autopsy. The bodies of the dead ones are in the mortuary. No single herdsman was killed,” the monarch stated.
Some of the witnesses narrated how they barely escaped death. Speaking at the Eke market square, Solomon Okpe, a farmer, narrated how he escaped.
“I’m an Anglican. I attended 5am service that day. The church service ended at about 6.15 am. Shortly after the church service, some women started running back to the church, shouting Fulani, Fulani.
“They said the Fulani people were in town, attacking our people. So I took off and went into hiding. My children ran away too from our house.
“The Fulani herdsmen were about 60. They didn’t attack any woman. Their targets were men. They were shooting in the air to scare away people. It was only one man who tried to escape that they shot; they killed others by slitting their throats with machetes and swords. Come and see how they were celebrating as they slit the throats of their victims. It was a horrible sight.”
The Christ Holy Church (Odozi Obodo) was in ruins. The herdsmen allegedly set it on fire. The senior pastor’s Honda car was also set ablaze.
Narrating how it happened at the church, the catechist, John Orajiaka (from Akokwa, Ideato North LGA of Imo State) said, “About 20 of the Fulani herdsmen stormed the church compound. They started beckoning on me to come to them, the whole thing was strange to me; I took to my heels and started running up the hill behind the church.
“It was when I was descending the other side of the hill that they began to shoot at me. But I had already hidden in a safe place before their bullets started raining.
“Meanwhile the senior pastor was in his house which was set ablaze. How the senior pastor and his daughter and wife managed to escape from the house set ablaze remains a puzzle to all of us.
“I learnt that it was when the herdsmen sighted an Anglican priest who was sharing the same compound with us that our senior priest and his wife and daughter escaped.”
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