FERDINARD AFOR, a teenager was on Wednesday evening shot dead by a hunter in the forests of Wula in Boki Local Government Area of central Cross River State.
Afor, 17, and his friends were said to have pitched a tent with some hunters to gather wild ukazi leaf (gnetum africanum) for sale to raise income in preparation for their New Yam festival.
Narrating the event that led to the killing of the minor, Ofre John, a native of the area said: “They slept with the hunters and while he left to pick ukasi, the hunters went hunting. And at about 7:00 pm, a hunter shot him and claimed he thought it was an animal,”
The unnamed hunter, a native of the neighbouring Okwango community also in Boki, has turned himself over to the Bateriko Division of the Nigerian Police Force where he is currently been detained,
Ofre said this has dampened the mood in the community even though there are trickles of events picking up as the people seek to move on from the unfortunate incident.
He also disclosed that the Okwango community visited the Wula community for discussions on the way forward.
“They are expected to bring three mature goats, one small one and three cocks on Monday, to discuss how to carry out a cleansing,” he said.
It will be recalled that a similar incident occurred two years ago when another hunter shot dead another person who went to pick bush mango (irvingia gabonensis) or Ogbono as it is popularly called despite warnings to cease hunting until the season was over.
No official statement yet from the Cross River State Police Command.
Source: CrossRiverWatch
Eighteen-Eleven Media