…LG Chairman Orders Probe
The Chairman of Ethiope East Local Government, Chief Augustine Ogedegbe has condemned the alleged attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen on a Kokori farmer who was working on his farmland located in a bush in Kokori Inland, Delta State.
Addressing gathering of aggrieved youths of Kokori who staged a peaceful protest to the office of the Local Government Chairman in Isiokolo, Hon. Ogedegbe described the attack as barbaric, inhuman and totally unacceptable.
He reminded the youths that the council authorities and Delta State Government are not in support of open grazing in any form in the state.
The local government chairman told the youths that there is existing law prohibiting open grazing in the state, adding that he has directed relevant security agencies in the area to fish out the perpetrators of the crime and ensure that justice is done.
According to him “I strongly condemn this act and assure you that justice will be pursue swiftly. There is a clear ban on open grazing in Delta State.
‘’This administration is not in support of open grazing in any form. I have directed the relevant security agencies to immediately fish out the perpetrators of this crime and ensure they are brought to justice.”
The Chairman assured the youths and the people of Kokori that security agencies including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) have been mandated to fully enforce the anti-open grazing law.
While reaffirming his administration’s commitment to protection and safety of lives and properties of people in the area, Hon. Ogedegbe appealed to the people of Kokori to remain calm and law-abiding while relevant authorities take necessary step to address the situation.
Earlier, the youths through the spokesperson told the Chairman of the local government that suspected herdsmen with their cows invaded the farmland of one Mr. Edafe Fresh while working on the farm and destroyed his crops and attack the victim with dangerous objects, inflicting several cuts all over his body which made him to fall to the ground unconsciously with pool of blood.
Good Samaritan who met him after the herdsmen had fled the scene rushed the victim to an undisclosed hospital in the town for treatment.
The youths asserted that the Kokori community did want open grazing in the community as the people could no longer tolerate the heinous crime of rape, assault, murder and destruction of their farmland by the Fulani herdsmen.
