Herdsmen cut off farmer's hands in Nasarawa

Tension is mounting in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State as suspected herdsmen, who have been dislodging farmers and dispossessing them of their property, chopped off the two hands of a farmer in the area on Friday.

The incident, which happened at about 10a.m., occurred when the attackers used machetes on the victim at Ome community in Obi council.

According to an eyewitness, the victim, Gambo Ambi, was at his farm when the suspected attackers invaded his farm with cows, destroying his crops.

The eyewitness told Vanguard that in the process of telling the herdsmen to leave his farm, they descended on the farmer and cut off his two hands.

The eyewitness, whose wished to remain anonymous, claimed that he narrowly escaped the attack.

Narrating his ordeal, “We were in the farm when we saw herdsmen grazing on the victim’s farm.

“While asking them to leave the farm, we saw them making calls and their men came with cutlasses and started chasing us.

“Ambi fell. And that was when the herdsmen severed his two hands.”

Meanwhile, when contacted for confirmation, the Public Relations Officer of Nasarawa State Police Command, ASP Ramhan Nansel, confirmed the incident, but said only one of the hands of the farmer, and not two, was severed.

He said: “The left hand of the victim was severed from his wrist, while a finger was severed from his right hand.

“The victim has been taken to the hospital for treatment. Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the crime and investigation is ongoing.”