Fulani herdsman arrested with AK-47 in Enugu

A suspected Fulani herdsman has been arrested with an AK 47 assault rifle in Enugu .
The incident happened at Ugbawka village in Nkanu East Local Government Area of the state , on Thursday .
Our correspondent learnt that the herdsman was initially apprehended by some youths of the village , who were suspicious of his presence in the agrarian community .
It was gathered that upon interrogation by the youths , said to be members of a vigilante outfit, the unnamed herdsman could not explain his mission and the reason he was bearing the deadly weapon in the community .
Sources in the village revealed that the gun was loaded with live cartridges .
The armed cattle rearer was subsequently handed over to the police.
Findings by Southern City News indicate that the herdsman was still in custody on Friday .
It was further gathered that the development led to tension in the community , as anxious youths and other members of the village mobilised themselves in anticipation of retaliatory attacks by Fulani herdsmen , who operate in large numbers in the area.
However , a team from the police anti -terrorism unit, as well as some men of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army , Enugu , had to be deployed to the village in order to avert any breakdown of law and order on Friday .
Police Public Relations Officer , Enugu State Police Command , Mr. Ebere Amaraizu , who confirmed the development, said the situation in Ugbawka village was under control .
“ As I speak with you , I am on my way back to Enugu ; I am in the entourage of the Commissioner of Police , we went to Ugbawka to assess the situation and there is no cause for alarm . There is calm ,” the police spokesman said when contacted on Friday.
Natives of Ugbawka village , who are mostly rice farmers , have been having series of confrontations with herdsmen operating within their community .
The villagers have accused the cattle rearers of destroying their rice farms.
Like Ugbawka , other agrarian communities in Enugu State have been experiencing anxious moments as a result of the activities of Fulani herdsmen .
In 2016 , several persons were killed when suspected Fulani herdsmen invaded Ukpabi Nimbo , a community in the Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu .
The Ukpabi Nimbo massacre , as the attack came to be known , led to the establishment of vigilante outfits in all the villages in the state , a development, which has reduced the frequency and scale of herdsmen attacks in Enugu State.