Brave 10-year-old Boy Rescues Father From Killer Herdsmen

In a rather unexpected act of bravery for a child his age, one Eze Junior, a ten-year-old boy from Amakohia-Ubi in Owerri-West Local Government Area of Imo State, defended and rescued his father from herdsmen who attacked him.

The incident happened on Monday morning at the family’s farm, where Eze Junior had accompanied his father, Eze Anorue, at about 8 a.m.

While at the farm, two herders reportedly emerged from the nearby bush and shot at his father.

However, noticing that their bullets could not penetrate Anorue (who is a licensed hunter), the attackers resorted to using machetes. His son, who had initially fled a short distance upon sighting the herders, immediately returned to assist his father.

Remarkably, the boy, just like his father, was unharmed when the herders shot at him, as the bullets were also repelled. He then drew his own machete to confront the attackers. Fortunately, vigilantes, who had earlier agreed to comb surrounding bushes with hunters, were already approaching and heard the gunshots.

Upon sighting the vigilantes, the herders were said to have fled into a nearby bush, and all efforts to apprehend them proved futile.

While the boy was unhurt, Anorue was quickly taken to the hospital for treatment, where he is currently in stable condition.

“Yes, he’s okay. He is in stable condition, except for a machete cut on his hand. We hope he will be alright,” a source from the community said.

Furthermore, the source recalled that the same hunter had been attacked by herders in 2019 in the same community. They inflicted serious injuries on him and made away with the motorcycle he had taken to the bush for hunting.

“He is a well-known hunter. He went into the bush at about 9 p.m. to hunt when he encountered the herders who attacked and cut him with machetes before forcefully taking his motorcycle. A similar incident happened today — he had gone to his farm with his son, having planned to comb the bush with vigilantes. That was how they were able to save him,” the source narrated.

The community has reportedly been under constant invasion by herders for quite some time. Sources say the reason for the attacks might not be unconnected to the community’s firm refusal to allow herders to graze on their farmlands.