Hausa men attack Akwa Ibom village, many injured (Photos)

A journalist based in Uyo, the state capital, Ifreke Nseowo, who posted the news of the carnage on his Facebook wall, said the incident took place in the Itiam Etoi village in Uyo Local Government Area of the state.

In the report, Nseowo, the publisher of The Mail Newspaper, said the Hausa men unleashed the terrible attack on some villagers as a result of a stolen generator which was sold to one of the Hausa men by an indigene of the town.

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It was gathered that when the owner of the stolen generator found out that the set was sold to the scrap collectors, he apprehended them and the case was thought to have been settled until the scavengers mobilized and attacked the village on the night of Tuesday, January 10, 2017.

This is how the journalist captured the scenario:

"The attacks began at about 10 pm when some people had slept. It would have been worse if there were many people on the street.

They started cutting anybody they met on their way with machetes. Some of them carried iron rods and other forms of weapons with which they beat and wounded people. They also destroyed the properties of people selling shops in the area."

Community sources say the problem started when the Hausa man who bought the generator, accused one of his kinsman of selling him out by reporting him to the owner of the generator.

The accusation generated a fight and an indigene who attempted to separate the fight was allegedly beaten up by one of the fighters who thought he was ganging up with his opponent to fight him.

The man was said to have run to his quarters to inform his friends of the alleged attack on him and they reinforced and went with him to attack anyone they met on the street.

One of the victims of the carnage who gave his name as Itoro, said:

"I was sitting in front of our house when I saw them running with machetes towards me. But because I didn't have any problem with anyone I was not afraid, only for them to cut me in the face and continued to run on."

Another victim, Ezekiel, said:

"I went to see my friend in the area only to see them running towards my direction. Since I did not know there was a problem, I was just walking on the street going back to my house.

One of them lifted his machete to cut me in the head and when I blocked it with my hand, he cut my hand again and again. That is when I knew the matter was serious and started running."

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As a result of the crisis, youths in the community have declared that they want all the Hausas in their area to leave or there would be a reprisal attack on them.

However, the state police command has waded into the crisis and have deployed their men there to maintain law and order to avert any further bloodshed.