From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Ukwonyo community in Ufia axis of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State on Monday raised the alarm over alleged persistent and constant harassment of their women by suspected herdsmen, leaving everyone worried and afraid to go about their daily farming activities in the community.

The case of a 42-year-old woman, Catherine Ajogi and four others who narrowly escaped from the hands of Fulani herders at Ogbuga farm settlement where they went to fetch firewood and harvest some snails around the Okonoji River, has prompted the community to cry out loud to the Benue state and the Federal Government for urgent action. They have demanded that decisive and proactive actions should be taken against the kidnapping and incessant harassment of Ufia women as well bring the perpetrators to book.Ukwonyo people are known for agricultural activities and have one of the largest cassava and garri markets as well as known for harvest of snails in large quantities in Benue South Senatorial District.However, these agricultural activities in the community may have been thwarted by fear and cautiousness which the people say is as a result of the herdsmen constant harassment.According to some of the community members, they have lived with the Fulani herdsmen who depend on them as host communities for the provision of basic needs such as grains, shelter and indeed, husks from the harvest which has provided food for their animals for a very long time.The community however alleged that the herdsmen suddenly turned away from the long-standing, mutually-beneficial relationship, by raping and harassing the community members, a situation that has brought untold pains and agony to the women.Speaking to journalists in Makurdi, the National Publicity Secretary of the apex sociocultural body of the Ufia people, the Ufia Development Association (UDA), Comrade Jude Onwe, lamented that going to farm or going to fetch water and firewood is now a problem in the area.He maintained that their women are not allowed to visit their farms without be accompanied by the men folk because once “Fulani herdsmen meet you, they rape you. We are all afraid and that is why farming in our area has reduced”.He explained that just two days ago, a woman identified as Mrs. Catherine Ajogi was ambushed by the herdsmen and captured to be raped and in the process of struggling with them, she was badly machete on her head.”Mrs. Catherine Ajogi, in company of two young men and two women had gone to the bushes to fetch firewood around Ogbuga farm settlement and to harvest some snails from the Okonoji River; unfortunately they were ambushed by suspected Fulani herders.”In attempt to escape for fear of being rape or Kill, Ajogi stumbled and fell down while the others left her. It was at that process that, one of the Fulani herdsmen men attempted to rape her.”However, she struggled with the herders and was able to escape from. Realising that those who escaped would have raised an alarm and the men may have gone to mobilize and come for Ajogi rescue, the suspected Fulani herders decided to inflict severe injury on her head and abandoned her.”She was brutally matchet and suffered the sharp matchet slit her head, which caused her to suffer loss of blood as a result”, he said.Onwe said the attention of the chairman of Ado Local Government Council, Sunday Oche was immediately drawn to the situation, where he directed that the victim be taken to the Community Health Center at Ukwonyo ward in Utonkon district.He said Chairman later came to the hospital at the instance of the Councilor representing Ukwonyo ward where he also drew the attention of the Ado Local Government Divisional Police Officer(DPO), Cosmos Tsa, to the incident.The council chairman, while in the hospital condemned the incident describing it as barbaric and uncalled for.He however thanked Ufia Community for not taking law into their hands and assured that he would report the matter to the appropriate authority to ensure that those involved are brought to bookOche, who thanked God that the victim was responding fast to treatment, announced that the council would be responsible for the full treatment and would offset all the medical bills.Efforts to reach the Benue State command police public relations officer SP Catherine Anene for comment failed as her phone number could not go through due to network challenge as at the time of filing this report.