A herd of cattle was seen on Monday without a herder, walking along a major highway in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, South-south Nigeria.
The incident happened at a multiple carriageway – Idongesit Nkanga Way – at about 7 a.m. The cattle did not pose a serious risk as there were almost no cars on the road – the traffic is usually light on this road, which connects some parts of the city together.
It was unclear why there was no herder with the cattle.
A few residents, with a bewildered look on their faces, stood by the roadside to watch as the cattle kept walking slowly and peacefully along a section of the 9.5kilometre road.
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“Where’s the Aboki?” One resident standing by the roadside shouted, asking no one in particular. “Ah, why are they alone? This is dangerous.”
“They (the cattle) came from afar. No one has seen the Aboki. Maybe something bad has happened to him,” a man riding a motorcycle said, apparently responding to the comment by the other man.
Aboki is a Hausa word meaning “friend” or “my friend”, but in Akwa Ibom, it is commonly used to refer to any man who is a Hausa or Fulani.
One resident ran onto the road and tried unsuccessfully to chase the animals away.
It is a common sight in different parts of Akwa Ibom to see cattle grazing in fields and farmlands, although open grazing is outlawed in the state. But it is rare to see cattle on major roads, especially in Uyo, the state capital.
Like in other parts of Nigeria, there have been reported clashes between farmers and herders in Akwa Ibom over allegations of destruction of farmlands.
The Commissioner for Internal Security in the state, Koko Essien, a retired army general, did not respond to calls and a text message from PREMIUM TIMES seeking comment for the report.
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