Many residents of Ewu community in Esan Central Local Government Area, Edo State, remain deeply traumatized and struggle to find meaning in life after surviving a brutal attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen that claimed many lives.
According to confirmed sources, the scars are still fresh from the tragic incident on February 17, 2017, when armed herdsmen stormed Ewu community wielding guns and other deadly weapons.
In the attack, several villagers were killed, some abducted, while many women were brutally raped and others maimed by the rampaging assailants.
On that fateful day, among those who suffered loss was David Okotor, who lost his father, Okotor Joseph Ijaye.He was hacked to death with a cutlass at the scene and an elderly farmer, Pa Stephen Ituale who was shot, as they ran into an ambush.
Okpia Thompson, a farmer, was also attacked with machetes and died in the forest after the ambush. Mrs. Edeko Uadiale, who had gone to harvest cassava at her husband’s farm, was caught in the ambush and raped to death.
There were several others like David Okotor who sustained multiple injuries but managed to escape. Among them were Pascal Ahbade, Sunday Okitu, and Johnson Okpu and still on critical list. Though their physical wounds have healed on the surface, the deeper emotional scars remain.
Since that day, those close to these victims say they have lost any sense of normal life, haunted by vivid memories of the violence and the brutal manner in which their loved ones were murdered.
Sources add that the trauma of witnessing such horror has left many battling constant fear, grief, and a profound disconnection from life as they once knew it.
While the physical wounds may fade, for David Okotor and others, the loss and trauma remain a daily burden — a reminder of a day when life as they knew it was violently torn apart, leaving behind pain, fear, and an unending search for healing.
When contacted, the police confirmed the incident and said they had issued several warnings advising farmers to remain security conscious when going to their farms.