BREAKING: Och’Otukpo orders herders to leave Otukpo Kingdom after deadly attack

The Och’Otukpo Odu, Chief John Eimonye, has directed all herders to vacate every part of Otukpo Kingdom with immediate effect.

This follows Sunday’s attack on Nobi Village in Otukpo District where several persons were killed.

The directive was issued after an attack allegedly carried out by armed herders on Nobi Village on Sunday, July 12, 2026, amid growing security concerns in the area.

In a statement signed by the Secretary of the Otukpo District Traditional Council, Chief Udeh Adole, the traditional ruler said the continued presence of herders had become a serious threat to the safety, security and well-being of the people of Otukpo Kingdom.

He stressed that the directive should not be interpreted as prejudice or profiling against any group but described it as a necessary measure to safeguard lives and restore peace in the kingdom.

According to the statement, the monarch expressed deep concern over the recurring attacks allegedly linked to armed herders and lamented what he described as the continued neglect of his people, who he said had been left at the mercy of the attackers.

Chief Eimonye vowed that Otukpo District would not be taken over by any interest under his watch, insisting that the people of the Otukpo Abakwu Kingdom were determined to defend their ancestral land.

The traditional ruler called on relevant security agencies and authorities to take urgent steps to address the security situation and protect residents from further attacks.