Tragedy struck in Ofagbe community at the weekend when a 30-year-old palm wine tapper was killed and one other person was severely injured by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the community in Isoko North local government area, Delta State.
The palm wine tapper, who was identified as Mr. Japhet Inibu, was killed while trying to collect palm wine in a nearby bush along the community’s road to Ashaka in Ndokwa East local government area of the state.
Following the development, the Oletu-logbo of the Ofagbe Kingdom, Othuke Omejedo, while addressing newsmen, said: “One woman ran to me to say that as she was going to the market, she met the lifeless body of a man lying on the ground on the road leading to Ashaka. She said another one was injured”.
He said the body of the deceased had been deposited in a mortuary at Ozoro, while the injured, Mr. Thompson Ogege, had been taken to a nearby hospital. Omejedo said the injured victim disclosed to them that they were accosted by the Fulani herdsmen, who opened fire on them as they were tapping their palm wine, leaving his counterpart instantly dead.
He said, “We have never had any problem with the herdsmen because they have not been living in this community, neither have they been accepted into the community because of their past tendencies.”
Speaking to our correspondent, the vice president of the Ofagbe community, Hon. Emmanuel Akpokiro, expressed dissatisfaction with the development, saying it was a terrible news and called on the state government to quickly come to their rescue to avoid further misfortune as Ofagbe community is a peace loving one.
The police public relations officer in the state, Mrs. Celestina Kalu, confirmed the incident, saying that the police were on top of the situation with a view to arresting the culprits.
She said, “The police are working hard to arrest the suspected killers of the palm wine tapper and we shall do our best to bring the culprits to book”.
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