#crime : Suspected Fulani herdsmen kill palm wine tapper

Tragedy struck in Ofagbe community on Saturday after a 30-year old palm wine tapper was killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Another person, Thompson Ogege, was said to have sustained injury in the incident that occurred in the Isoko North Local Govern­ment Area, Delta State...


The palm wine tapper, Mr. Japhet Inibu, was said to have been killed while trying to tap palm wine in a nearby bush.

The community head, the Oletu-logbo of Ofagbe Kingdom, Othuke Omejedo, told PUNCH Metro that he was informed of the incident by a resident.

He said, “One woman ran to me saying as she was going to the market, she met the lifeless body of a man on the road leading to Ashaka. She said another one was injured.”

Omejedo said the corpse had been deposited in a mortuary at Ozoro, while Ogege, had been taken to a nearby hospital.

He said the injured victim explained that that they were waylaid by some Fulani herdsmen, who opened fire on them as they were tapping palm wine killing his partner.

Omejedo said, “We have never had any problem with the herdsmen because they have not been living in this community, neither have they been accepted into the community because of their past tendencies.”

The Vice President of the community, Emmanuel Akpokiro, called on the state government to quickly come to their rescue to avoid further misfortune, saying Ofagbe community was a peace-loving one.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs. Celestina Kalu, confirmed the incident, adding that the police were on top of the situation with a view to arresting the culprits.

She said, “The police is working hard to arrest the suspected killers of the palm wine tapper and we shall do our best to bring the culprits to book.”