Wednesday, April 2, 2025 - A 54-year-old farmer, Jeremiah Onuminya, from the Usha community in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, has reportedly slumped and d!ed after a false alarm was raised about an attack by suspected herders.
Acoording to Punch, Onuminya was heading to his farm on
Monday, March 31, when some youths suddenly shouted, “Fulani! Fulani!!” in
panic.
Attempting to flee, he ran for his life but collapsed a few
meters from his house and d!ed on the spot.
The incident occurred days after 20 cows were allegedly
poisoned on a nearby farm, a situation that had heightened tension in the
community.
The Chairman of Agatu Local Government, Melvin James, who
confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday, April 2, expressed
condolences to the deceased’s family.
He said initial investigations, corroborated by security
agencies and the family, suggested that Onuminya collapsed from exhaustion
while trying to escape, with no evidence of an attack.
“In an effort to determine the exact cause of death, the
chairman suggested an autopsy; however, the family declined, accepting that Mr.
Onuminya’s passing resulted from health complications,” James said in the
statement issued by his media aide, Solomon Obochi.
James urged residents to avoid spreading unverified
information that could incite panic and disrupt the fragile peace in the
area.
He warned that false alarms posed serious risks to public
safety and efforts toward security and unity in the community.
0 Comments