Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has sent a 7-man
investigative team to Delta State to look into the criminal activities of armed
Fulani herdsmen in parts of the State.
This move followed a petition by the member representing Ethiope East in the
Delta State House of Assembly, DTHA, Evance Ivwurie to President Muhammad
Buhari and his counterpart in the United States, Donald Trump calling for
urgent action to stop the attacks by armed herdsmen in the area before it
snowballs into a major catastrophe.
The team is led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, and
arrived Abraka at the weekend where they paid a visit to the Ovie of
Oruarivie-Abraka kingdom, HRM Akpomeyoma Majoroh Ojeta II to hint him of the
visit.
They said the federal government is doing everything
possible to put a stop on the activities of herdsmen which is not limited to
Delta State alone.
The team, immediately after the visit of the monarch, moved
in company of Ivwurie, the Abraka Divisional Police Officer, DPO, his men and
members of the Abraka vigilante to parts of Ovre-Eku, Ovre-Igun and Ovre-Abraka
in Ethiope East Local Government Area which has been a safe haven for the
suspected herdsmen.
Ivwurie told Vanguard that, “The visit by the team is as a
result of my letter dated April 24, 2017 to the acting president, Prof Yemi
Osinbajo on the need to urgently constitute an investigative panel or
commission of inquiries to investigate the killings in the area.
“Upon receipt of my letter, the acting president directed
the Inspector General of Police to carry out a discreet investigation on the
killings and other forms of criminalities in the area by these suspected armed
Fulani herdsmen.
“I also appealed to him that the perpetrators should be
unraveled with those behind the act brought to book as well as finding a
lasting solution to forestall a reoccurrence of these killings in the area.
“The IGP in a show of professionalism carefully selected a 7
member team from various departments of the Nigeria Police to come to Delta and
carry out a discreet investigation in unraveling these perpetrators with a view
to bringing them to justice.
“So far, they have met with stakeholders in the state and
taken statements from persons including myself and those who have fallen victim
to these attacks in the area.
By John Owen Nwachukwu
