Aondofa Orkeghen, a 29-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, has recounted the tragic events that led to the death of his father and several relatives.
Orkeghen, who hails from Takum Local Government Area in Taraba State, explained that his family’s village, New Gboko in Chanchanji ward, was first struck by a terrorist attack that claimed multiple lives. He learned of the initial assault when his mother called to inform him of the incident.
In an attempt to safeguard the family’s belongings, Orkeghen arranged for a driver to relocate their property, unaware that the assailants would return. During the subsequent raid, his father, Francis Orkeghen, remained behind briefly to retrieve additional items and was among those killed, along with other relatives who had stayed in the village.
The NYSC member described the loss as a devastating blow, highlighting the sudden and indiscriminate nature of the attacks that have continued to affect communities in the region.
Further talking, he said, “After the attack, one of the Fulani men who took my father’s phone called me, and I immediately asked him the whereabouts of the phone’s owner. That was when he confirmed to me that he had killed my father.”
When asked about his reaction to the news of his father’s death, Aondofa Orkeghen described a profound sense of shock and grief. He recalled feeling overwhelmed and helpless upon learning of the killings from the assailants themselves, who taunted him and suggested he could collect his father’s body if he dared.
Orkeghen said the experience left him deeply shaken, unable to process the situation, and emotionally devastated. Despite reaching out for assistance, he recounted that there was little that could be done immediately to help.
