The president of the Voice of Livestock Farmers was threatened at gunpoint during a shocking late-night ambush, an incident he believes is directly linked to his group’s campaigning regarding the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.
- According to police, three masked assailants on two motorcycles blocked Neofytou’s vehicle. One of the attackers brandished a firearm while the others vandalised the front windscreen of his car.
- This incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of individuals involved in agricultural advocacy, especially as tensions rise around the ongoing health crisis affecting livestock.
Neofytos Neofytou reported the harrowing event to authorities late on Tuesday after it occurred around 11:25pm on the old Delikipos-Lythrodontas road. This attack took place shortly after a meeting of the Voice of Livestock Farmers in Choirokoitia.
According to police, three masked assailants on two motorcycles blocked Neofytou’s vehicle. One of the attackers brandished a firearm while the others vandalised the front windscreen of his car.
In an interview with Sigma, Neofytou recounted the terrifying details, stating, “One of the attackers held the gun to my head. They were coming from the opposite direction. I slowed down because I could see the motorcycles heading straight for me. Two of them were hitting the window — I didn’t even register what they were hitting it with. The third produced a gun. They were wearing hoods. What the one with the gun said to me was absolutely connected to everything that’s happened with the appearance of the Voice of Livestock Farmers.”
He further revealed that the attackers explicitly warned him to withdraw from his public engagements concerning the foot-and-mouth outbreak. “For some people, the soup has been spoiled,” Neofytou remarked defiantly, asserting his determination to continue advocating for the livestock community.
Following the incident, police arrived promptly at the scene before Neofytou proceeded to Kofinou to provide a statement. The Larnaca CID has launched an investigation, focusing on suspicions of threatening violence, illegal possession of a firearm, and malicious damage to property.
This incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of individuals involved in agricultural advocacy, especially as tensions rise around the ongoing health crisis affecting livestock.
