The brutal killing of Matthew Apande, a husband and father in Tse Agbande, Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria, is a tragic reminder of the ongoing conflict between farmers and Fulani herdsmen. Agnes Apande, his widow, recounts the horrific incident of how she watched helplessly as her husband was hacked to death by a group of suspected herdsmen.
Agnes narrated how they had purchased a small generator to keep them entertained after returning from the farm, as she loved watching movies. On the fateful day, she was in the room with her son when they heard gunshots outside. She peeked through the window and saw about nine men on motorcycles, some of whom started shooting indiscriminately. They then attacked her husband, who was lying outside due to the heat, and macheted him to death.
She said, “We had bought a small generator to keep us busy any time we returned from the farm, because I like watching films. “On that fateful day, I was in the room with my only son watching a film while my husband lay outside the house. They first started shooting. It was the sound of gunshots that made me to reduce the volume of the TV. I then opened the window slightly and saw them. They came on motorcycles. Some of them waited while others came down."
“One of them went straight to the generator switched it off. Then I saw them shoot my husband in the stomach, killing him instantly. They collected his handset and beamed torchlight around to see if there was someone else but I dodged and hid behind the door while my son was sleeping on the bed. I watched as they took his phone and torch. They spoke Fulfude, that was what made me to know that they were Fulani. I could not believe that I was seeing my husband’s body. I saw machete and axe cuts after his stomach was ripped open with bullets. In fact, they butchered him anyhow and dropped his body under a mango tree within the compound. They moved to the neighbouring village and also killed about five people there.”
According to Agnes, her husband had complained to some Fulani leaders after some cattle ate up the soya beans they were harvesting. Their crops were the only hope of survival before the rainy season when they would start all over again. However, the cows ate up everything, including rice, cassava, and yams, leaving them with nothing. Her husband was angry about this and expressed his frustration to the Fulani leaders, who allowed their cattle to eat his soya beans. He had no idea that they would plan to attack him.
Agnes expressed her frustration that her husband's killers were still using his mobile phone, and she appealed to the security agencies to apprehend the culprits and bring them to justice. The widow's condition is heartbreaking, and she sits dejectedly, staring into space, hoping that the stare could change the situation and bring back her husband.
The ongoing conflict between farmers and herdsmen in Nigeria has claimed many lives and caused a significant loss of property. This tragedy has highlighted the need for the government to address this issue before it spirals out of control. It is not enough for government officials to offer condolences and promises of justice after such incidents; there needs to be a lasting solution.
Content created and supplied by: Trendingg (via Opera News )
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