Lokpanta Attack There were tensions and confusion following a piece of news that is taking over internet spaces where Abia State government is said to have uncovered dozens of headless bodies in a forest at Lokpanta, a village hosting the biggest cow market in Abia State.
The major news outlets operating in Nigeria including the Punch, Vanguard, BBC, and countless others have reported the disturbing news. Although the media outlets have not been specific about the number of corpses discovered in the forest, the number varies from 70 to 100 dead bodies.
Some new outlets reported that 50 dead bodies and 20 headless bodies while others reported 80 dead bodies and 20 headless bodies were discovered in the dreadful forest.
The incumbent Governor of the State, Alex Otti, however officially claimed that 70 corpses were found inside forests around the Lokpanta Cattle Market, Umuchieze, Umunnochi Local Government Area of Abia State. He separately added that human skeletons with no heads were also found, this may mean the number of corpses in the forests is close to 100. Governor Otti also stated that prostitution, drugs, and ransom-taking were also discovered to be practiced in the forests.
None of the news sources has been able to link any criminal gang to the hazardous discovery even speculations are been sponsored to color the discovery in favor of a particular ethnic group in the country.
Currently, some guys are reporting the discoveries on social media platforms to look as if the discovered corpses were of Igbo people allegedly killed by the Fulani, simply because the forest housing the Corpses is located near Fulani’s cow market in the village. This is not too cheap but it is still very difficult to agree with such an assertion.
We may need to recall “Sometimes around February 2022, there was an attack on the Hausa-Fulani people residing in Lokpanta where countless cows and people were massacred by the members of Eastern Security Network, the military wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
To substantiate the attack, former Governor of the State, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu paid the compensation of N150,000 for each of the killed cows and N50,000 for each of the killed goats. Dr. Ikpeazu also promised to pay a sum of N2 million for each of the people killed in the attack. About nine (9) people were said to be killed in this attack.
In July 2022, the Arewa Republic also reported that the militia wing of the IPOB killed another 28 Hausa businessmen at Lokpanta Cattle Market in Abia.
Looking at the above reports, it would be insincere to link the incessant killing to the Hausa-Fulani people residing in the area.
According to a report by the DailyPost, indigenes of the area also claimed women and young girls have been the area unpalatable for fear of being raped by the criminals. Generally, people living in the village said they have been living in fear for two years because of Raping and regular Kidnapping activities by hoodlums. The majority of the indigenes accused bandits of the insecurity. This could be hard to discard.
But would it be possible for non-Hausa-Fulani to perpetrate this absurdity within the Cattle Market’s vicinity without fightback from Hausa-Fulani who densely populated the area and use the forest more than, even the indigenes? This is definitely impossible.
Considering local reports of suffering from the menace, it could be evidenced that the found dead bodies may be of the Igbo people majority, while other ethnic groups would certainly be among the victims.
Category: World-News
Tag: Lokpanta corpses Abia cattle market
Written by Omooba Alekuwodo (omoobaalekuwodo)
Published 11/1/2023 10:23:01 PM