Benue lawyer narrates how suspected herdsmen slaughtered man who went to the farm to fetch food for his family

A man identified as Hilenen Luther, was brutally murdered by suspected herdsmen in his village in Agena-Ya in Borikyo, Ngenev, Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State. 

A lawyer and human right activist, Barr. Ayati Orlu-Bem Ayati, who disclosed this in a Facebook post on Monday, February 26, 2024, said the deceased had left Gboko to fetch food from his farm for his family. 

According to Ayati, the deceased and two of his friends were taking shelter under a tree in his compound when the cutlass-wielding assailants stormed there. 

“When Hilenen Luther left his young wife and kids in Gboko and set out for his village at Agena-Ya in Borikyo, Ngenev , Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, little did he know what was lying in wait for him. He was to fetch food from his farm for his family in Gboko, having earlier fled from home due to security challenges in Ukum recently,” he wrote. 

 

“It happened one hot afternoon of 23/2/2024 . Hilenen and two of his friends were taking shelter under the cool shade of the mango tree in his compound away from the scorching sun. No sooner had he blinked in sleep than he was awoken by the earthshaking shouts of “Fulani! Fulani! Yevese ne ooooo!”

 

“Springing up, Hilenen swiftly dashed into the nearby bush. After him in mad pursuit were about 5 Fulani herdsmen who wielded razor-sharp cutlasses and raised them above their heads as they gave Luther a hot chase.

 

“Faced with imminent death, Hilenen ran as fast as he could but death seemed to have its claws on him as he tripped on a twig of shrub and fell down. He made to jump up but did so ever too late as the Fulani man on his heels buried his cutlass into Hilenen’s back, sending him sprawling on the ground with a river of blood gushing out.

 

“Aôndo!”, the very last word Luther mustered his strength to say before his body went cold never to gain warmth again.”