A woman in the Ijebu North local government area of Ogun State, Morenike Salami, is currently battling for her life after some marauding herdsmen attacked her while visiting her building site and in the process, cut off one of her fingers and shattered her jaw.
The attackers, said to be about eight in number, had reportedly waylaid their victim’s car and while she attempted to make a quick reverse, was caught and attacked.
The victim was said to have been taken to a few hospitals including the state-owned Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, but was rejected before she was taken to the Lagos State University Hospital, Ikeja, before she could get treatment.
In a viral video on social media on Saturday, a female voice was heard asking the daughter of the victim a few questions about the attack.
Replying, the daughter said:
“She (my mother) was going to her site in Idofe after a road that leads to Oru along Quarry. She said she saw some cattle while she was driving on the road and as she made a quick attempt to reverse, she was surrounded by some Fulani men who emerged from the bush.
She said they were about eight and the first thing they did was to shoot at all the four tyres and later went to block her car at the front. One of them carried a gun and wanted to shoot her. She begged him but he went ahead and shot her, removing one of her fingers.
My mother said she pretended as if she had died. One of her fingers was blown away by the bullets. She said she pretended as if she was dead. So, they went back into the bush. She said she managed to get down from the car after waiting for them to go.
“After she managed to alight from the car, she saw a tipper lorry and flagged it down. The driver rescued her and took her to Oru but she was rejected. We went to the general hospital but she was also rejected. When we got to OSUTH , they also said there was no space.”
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, said:
“Those people have a piece of land between Oru and Ago Iwoye. They went to inspect the land. One Alhaja who was going with them had excused herself with the promise that she would join them on the land.
“On getting to the land, they discovered that some Fulanis were attacking a labourer hired to clear the land in question. Those people immediately ran to those in the neighbourhood and in the process, the Fulanis left the victim and took to their heels.
“Unknown to the Alhaja, on her way to join the people, the Fulanis laid in ambush for her and opened fire on the vehicle she was driving. The woman was hit by a bullet and the Fulanis, who perpetrated the crime, ran away.
“When the police were informed, they went to the scene and could not find any of them but they saw the cattle they left behind. The police, in conjunction with the local vigilante group and hunters didn’t allow the cattle to leave the spot.
“Around 10pm, three Fulani men came to the spot with the aim of taking away the cattle and the police apprehended them. They have been transferred to the police headquarters in Eleweran. They have strong connection to the crime.”
