On our property, a herdsman attempted to behead my husband. – Delta woman

 On August 4, 2023, Mr. Festus Unah, a 50-year-old generator repairer who also farms for subsistence, traveled with his wife to their farmland in Obetim-Uno, Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Delta State, with the goal of clearing the weeds that had started to sprout on the cassava farm.

However, things did not go as planned, and the man wound up at the General Hospital in Kwale after one of the herders who had led their cattle to graze on the cassava assaulted and injured his neck severely with a machete following a disagreement.

Over the past few months, residents of the rural hamlet have lamented the actions of herders, who they claim have damaged over 300 farmlands.

The wife, Patricia, who revealed that they are Umusadege-Kwale locals, described their horror. She said they arrived at the property around 5 o'clock.

She said, "When we arrived, we encountered two herders with their cows munching on the cassava. Now, my husband instructed them to remove the farm's cows.

"They began making fun of my husband, and out of panic, I urged him that we should go right away because I could feel danger.

However, as my husband turned to follow me, one of the herders attacked him with a cutlass and attempted to behead him, causing a serious cut on his neck in the process.

"The other one spoke to him in their language and motioned for them to depart, and they took off with their cows, leaving me by myself with my husband," the woman said.

I had to get to the oil mill where I work in a nearby camp to meet my coworkers and our manager, who was now using a truck to transport my husband to the hospital.

She claimed that after the incident was reported to them at the police station, some police officers visited the hospital to speak with the husband and gave her the assurance that "any moment from now, they will find the Alhaji that owns the cows."

"My spouse is reacting to the medication, but he is having trouble eating. He can hardly speak and can barely take a pap.

The wife requested assistance from the local government council and the Delta State government, as they are now having trouble affording the medications prescribed for her husband's treatment.

Mrs. Unah stated, "We are going through severe difficulty, which is why we are doing farming so that we can have something to eat.

"My husband fixes motorcycles and generators, but he doesn't have a shop. From their homes, some individuals occasionally call him to fix their generators. He follows me to the farm if there is no work.

She claimed that although some people had come to the hospital to help them out financially, it was insufficient.

The wife said, "Someone came and gave them N10,000 and N5,000."

Mr. Matthew Ujene, coordinator of the DLMC for the Delta State Livestock Management Committee, denounced the attack and called it a horrible scenario.

"As a committee, we are looking at how to control the situation so that it won't worsen," Ujene said.

"We went to the hospital with the cattle owners, and they promised that they'd pay the hospital bill, and the DPO has asked them to provide the person who cut the man," said the cattle owners.

When contacted, Mr. Bright Edafe, the public relations officer for Delta State Police, verified the occurrence and said efforts were being made to apprehend suspects who were running away.