The former Senate President, however, escaped unhurt.
Mark was in company with the erstwhile Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro; a member House of the Representatives for Ohimini/Otukpo, Constituency, Honourable Ezekiel Adaji, security aides, journalists and party supporters during the tour of the eight communities.
The communities are Aila, Akwu, Okokolo, Adagbo, Akwu, Ogboju and Odugbeho, which have been destroyed by Fulani herdsmen.
The convoy was at Akwu community when some fleeing herdsmen sighted the convoy and shot at it, causing members of the lawmaker’s convoy to scamper for safety.
The security men attached to the convoy were ordered to remain calm and not exchange fire. The former Senate President thereafter ordered that the convoy continue to move.
Eight communities were totally destroyed and deserted except Odugbeho, which was again attacked on Thursday evening.
Speaking to some survivors in one of the communities, Mark regretted the wanton destructions, which he described as “unimaginable” and called on the people to remain calm.
One of the community’s youth leaders, Michael, who spoke at Aila, lamented what he called the porous security in Agatu Local Government Area and asked the former Senate President to tell the president to remove the soldiers as “we are competent now to defend ourselves.”
The youth in the communities accused state governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, of not visiting the affected areas. They added that when the deputy governor, Benson Abounu, visited the areas, he only stopped at Apa, where the displaced persons are camped.
But Mark appealed to the youth to keep the peace and remain law-abiding as he promised to relate what he had seen to the government for prompt action.
Meanwhile, Governor Ortom has raised the alarm on the escalation of attacks on his people by the Fulani herdsmen.
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