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By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, ABUJA

A retired Chief Superintendent of Customs, Johnson Adapoyi, has withdrawn two of his children from school in Abuja over alleged herdsmen attacks.

Already, the former Customs officer said he alongside his family members are in hiding for about two months now following the threats from the herdsmen

Speaking to Vanguard on phone, Mr Adapoyi said he had to withdraw his 18-year-old son studying Cyber Security at an undisclosed university and his 14-year-old daughter, who just finished JSS3 in a secondary school in Abuja to save their lives.

Narrating his ordeals, he said: “On January 5, 2022, herdsmen with many of their cows invaded my farm in Sayidna village of Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State eating up my cassava, corn and other crops, destroying my farmhouses.

“There was general chaos in the area. We watched helplessly while the destruction continued. I reported the matter to the Mai Angwua (village head) and the local vigilante for the records and further necessary action.

“On the early hours of April 8, 2022, I received a message that the herdsmen were back on my farm. I quickly got ready and moved to the Masaka Police Station where I reported the incident. Two policemen were detailed to follow me to the scene.

“Two of the herdsmen who were seen on the farms with their cattle were invited to the Police Station. Their statements were obtained and they were detained pending investigation. They also wrote an undertaking that they will not go to that farm again.

“The herdsmen destroyed my farm and threatened my life. I have been hiding since the middle of June 2022. Some members of my family are with me. So, I am here with my children and my wife. It is only my son, 22 years, that refused to join us.”

The former Customs officer said as a result of the attack, he lost many things and that he used proxies to sell his farm while hiding, adding, “I know I will not go back to that farm again.”

He also said that his 25-year-old daughter, who is a graduate of Micro Biology and working in Abuja, had to abandon her work because of the herdsmen threat.