At least four farmers who were on fishing expedition have been reportedly shot dead by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Their bodies were found in a bush in Uwheru community, in the Ughelli North Council Area of Delta State.
The incident, which was said to have occurred over the weekend, has resulted in palpable tension in the area, as other members of the fishing expedition reportedly sustained different degrees of gun wounds from the attack.
The Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, had, last week, while receiving the Assistant Inspector General Police Zone 5, Mr. Rasheed Akintunde, disclosed that herdsmen occupied three Uwheru communities and that farmers might have to pay Fulani herdsmen before being allowed access to their farmlands.
The governor had told the AIG to urgently mobilise police operatives to the area to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
A security personnel who confirmed the incident noted that the attack, which took place at a bush in Oreba village of Uwheru community on Saturday, had since sparked tension in the area.
Our sources added that scores of persons who survived the attack with gunshots injuries were currently receiving treatment at undisclosed hospitals within the state.
A senior Police officer at the Ughelli Police Area Command, who also confirmed the incident, disclosed that the corpses of the deceased were recovered from the scene of the incident on Sunday.
The President General, Uwheru community, Ogarivi Utso, also confirmed the killings, adding that their communities were under siege by arms wielding herdsmen who have prevented their people from visiting their farmlands.
Utso added that Saturday’s attack brings to six persons that have been killed by herdsmen in the last few weeks in the area.
He called on the state and the Federal governments to immediately come to their aid before the situation snowballs into a crisis.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Andrew Aniamaka, could not be reached for confirmation, as calls to his telephone line rang out repeatedly.
He has not also replied to a text message sent to him as at the time of filing this report.