54-year-old farmer Shares How Herdsmen Cut Off His Hand

Mr. Mathias Odey, who is a 54-year-old farmer by occupation and a father of seven children. His left hand was cut off by herdsman during a fight between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Ugaga which is a community of Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State. He has made it known that nobody has come to his aid since the incident occurred
Southern City News learnt on Friday that Mr. Mathias was attacked by a herdsman while he was on his farm when he and his children were harvesting farm produce.
He recalled the incident by the herdsmen,

“My children and I were plucking pepper from one of my farms. We usually do this together. After I finished with the pepper, I went to another section to harvest yam.
“I had barely harvested four tubers of yam when we saw some Fulani herdsmen entering our farm. Three of the herdsmen were with their cows, scattering the ridges. My son attempted to chase them, but one of the herdsmen brought out a cutlass and went after him.
“He hit my son twice but didn’t injure him. I went after him and suddenly, he turned towards me and tried to cut off my neck with the cutlass. I used my hand to defend myself and that was when it was chopped off.”

He said that he fell down on the ground and called on his children to come to his rescue, he further said, he became so unconscious and before he could know it, he woke up in the hospital.
According to Punch, Mr. Mathias Odey said he had been depending on friends that are kind-hearted to address his medical condition.
He said that he had spent the last four months visiting several hospitals in Calabar and Ogoja in order to get medical attention.

“When this incident happened, there were promises that the government would take care of my hospital bills and see to it that I get treated, but nothing of such has happened.
“I have been depending on the goodwill of family members. I have spent the last four months in and out of hospitals both in Calabar and Ogoja Local Government Area,” he lamented.

The father of seven children has wondered what would now become of him because his hand which is the main tool for farming has been cut off by the heartless herdsmen.

Mr. Hafiz Inuwa, The Commissioner of Police, had shortly after the incident occurred has confirmed the death of one with several others injured as a result of the clash with herdsmen.