Ayodele Olalere
A businesswoman, Mrs Morounkeji Salami has escaped death by the whiskers during an attack by criminal Fulani herders.
The incident which occurred at Oru in Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State is the latest in several of attacks allegedly perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen in the South-west of Nigeria.
Mrs Salami was reported to have been on her way to her building site at Idofe, another suburban area in Ogun State when she was attacked at Oru.
Narrating the incident, a relation of the victim said Mrs Salami was shot at by the eight-man armed Fulani herdsmen who left her at the scene of the incident presuming she was dead.
“She was driving to her site at Idofe. As she faced Oru side and navigated towards the Quarry side, she saw some cows coming towards her. Because they were many, she attempted to reverse so she could take another route. Suddenly she saw some Fulanis coming out of the bush, they were eight in number. They shot at all her tyres, which prevented her from moving. As the Fulanis moved closer to her, they shot at her again which hit one of her fingers and cut it off,” she said.
She added: “She started begging them. Another shot was fired at her which hit her jaws and she slumped on the steering wheel. She pretended she was dead and they started calling her “madam, madam” but she didn’t answer them. They left her thinking she was dead and went back to the bush.
After she noticed they had gone, she came down from the vehicle and saw a tipper lorry coming and they rescued her. We rushed her to Oru hospital but they rejected her. We took her to Ogun State University Teaching Hospital but they also rejected her because no more bed space. I called my sister and we brought her to Lagos State University Hospital, LASUTH, where she is currently receiving treatment.”
