On Wednesday, January 16, 2018, in Okpokwu village, Edumoga Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, the Edegbe family was attacked by marauding Fulani herdsmen with their house completely razed by fire.
In the melee, the head of the family, Thomas Edegbe, aged 60, was murdered in cold blood with his body completely burnt after being dismembered.
Two weeks earlier, the Edegbe family had been thrown into dejection as their near six-acre cassava, yam, and maize plantations were vandalised by cattle. The Edegbes were said to have cried inconsolably as their plants were said to have been eaten up by Fulani herders’ cattle.
However, the poor family was unsuspecting of the tragedy ahead of them after the plunder. Edegbe’s hope that his siblings, including his brother, Jacob, would rally round to help could not materialise as life was sniffed out of him soon after.
It has been a mix of fear and grief for Jacob who has been in a mourning mood ever since the news of his kinsman’s attack and murder got to him.
During a telephone interview from an undisclosed location, Jacob described his uncle as a complete gentleman who is peaceful and trustworthy.
He said the entire Edegbe family entrusted the family wealth to him, following the death of Ukpe, the family head, because of his virtues of piety and integrity.
He said, “We had a meeting and agreed that by Easter of 2019, the deceased would brief us on the situation of things as it affects the farm and other family belongings. It was expected that whatever was due to us as his younger ones would be given to us. This has been the practice for almost a decade now.
“That was how my school fees in the university was paid; that was how my wedding was financed. I have come to trust him; he became my adviser. I kept my savings and financial plans with
him.”
According to him, the herdsmen attack was most horrifying and unwarranted since the deceased did not attack them and their cattle during the earlier invasion.
