Youths murdered, Nigeria’s herder crisis worsens again

DDM News

A tragic and disturbing incident has occurred on the outskirts of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, where two young men were brutally murdered by suspected herders.

The victims, Savior Averson and his close friend Michael, reportedly lost their lives while trying to protect farmland from destruction by wandering cattle.

The unfortunate event took place in a rural community where farming is a major source of livelihood for residents.

According to reports, cattle belonging to suspected herders had been invading local farms, eating crops, and causing damage to trees.

Diaspora digital media (DDM) gathered that the victims confronted the herders after noticing that their mango trees were being destroyed by the animals.

This confrontation reportedly led to a violent attack that claimed the lives of both young men.

Blessing David, the grieving mother of Savior, recalled how she was informed about the tragic incident through a distressing phone call.

She said she rushed home immediately, only to find the lifeless body of her son lying on the ground.

“I was told herdsmen were fighting with my son at home,” she told AIT.

“When I arrived, I saw his dead body on the ground.”

David Averson, the father of the deceased Savior, gave more details of the shocking attack.

He said his son was hacked with machetes after asking the herders to restrain their cattle from eating their crops.

“They ganged up on him with machetes,” Mr. Averson recounted.

“They pursued his friend Michael to a river and butchered him there.”

“His death was even worse.”

The murder of the two young men has sparked outrage in the local community.

Residents are deeply troubled by the rising wave of violence linked to the ongoing conflict between herders and farmers across Nigeria.

For years, clashes between herders and farmers have led to numerous deaths, destruction of properties, and forced displacement of rural populations.

Experts say the root of the crisis lies in competition over land and water resources, worsened by climate change and population growth.

Nomadic herders in search of grazing land often move southwards, encroaching on farmlands and triggering disputes with settled farmers.

Successive Nigerian governments have struggled to implement long-term solutions to the problem.

Security agencies are frequently accused of slow responses or failing to arrest and prosecute attackers.

In many rural communities, residents feel abandoned and vulnerable to such deadly invasions.

In this latest case, community members are demanding immediate action from authorities.

They want the perpetrators of the killings identified and brought to justice.

They are also calling for increased security presence to protect farming communities from further attacks.

This incident adds to a growing list of unresolved killings linked to herder-farmer clashes in Nigeria.

Families of the victims say they are devastated and want justice for their loved ones.

They insist that no one should be killed simply for defending their land and livelihood.

The community is now left in fear and mourning, as calls for justice grow louder across the region.

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