By Chidi Nkwopara, Owerri, Vincent Ujumadu, Awka, Ugochukwu Alaribe, Aba, Peter Okutu, Abakaliki and Francis Igata, Enugu
*Enugu: 16 dead, 32 houses burnt in six months
*Abia: Women, traders shot at
*Imo: Residents allege rape, maiming
*Anambra: ‘You will pay if you kill cattle, destroy crops’
Deaths and destruction of property linked to herdsmen in Igboland have become a source of concern to stakeholders in the South-East.
Only last Thursday, suspected herdsmen unleashed terror in Ndiagu, Attakwu, Akegbe-Ugwu in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.
By the time the attackers retreated, 26-year old seminarian, Lazarus Nwafor and a woman said to be carrying six months-old pregnancy lay dead.
Four members of Ogbodo Nwarum family, in whose house the seminarian was a tenant were seriously injured.
Four months earlier, similar attack was recorded in Nimbo village in Uzo-Uwani LGA, Enugu State where no fewer than 13 persons were killed by suspected herdsmen.
Altogether, 16 people have been killed by suspected herdsmen in Enugu State alone since February 24 (six months ago) when attackers left two siblings dead in Abbi community also in Uzo-Uwani LGA.
In the February 24 attack, 19 houses were reportedly burnt and 15 persons severely injured while 14 houses including a Catholic Church were lost to the Nimbo incident.
Corridor
Sunday Vanguard learnt that Enugu State, being the corridor to the northern part of the country from the South-East, is prone to attacks because it is a preferred destination for herdsmen in the region.
Romanus Ugwu, a farmer in the community, spoke on last Thursday’s attack, “The Fulani herdsmen were grazing right inside our compounds last Tuesday. Their cows numbered over 100. Women and children, on noticing their presence, rang the metal gong at the village square.
“The metal gong sound caused the cattle to scamper in disarray. The herdsmen were infuriated by the action of the women and children. They told the women and children that they would invade that night.
“True to their words, they struck at about 2.15am. The herdsmen climbed the ceiling of the rented house where the seminarian resided, jumped down and unlocked the metal door leading to the parlour.
“They then rushed in and attacked Ogbodo Nwarum’s family, in whose house the seminarian was a tenant. They used a knife to slaughter the seminarian and slit open the pregnant woman’s tummy. Three other family members were seriously injured in the operation that lasted over two hours. Most of us ran for our dear lives”.
The apex Igbo socio-political group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, condemned the killings and destruction of property in the South-East by herdsmen. Secretary General, Joe Nworgu of the group, told Sunday Vanguard that they condemned the continued display of lawlessness with reckless abandon as if there is no government.
“The security outfits have failed in their responsibilities of protection of lives and property. There has been repeated hue and cry across the nation over the extreme bloodletting of Ndigbo. It does not seem the authority of government is been respected. President Buhari’s stance suggests that he supports the activities of Fulani herdsmen. Buhari should be seen to address the urgent issue as it has gotten out of hand”, he said.
“What we hear everyday is rhetoric and lip service from government and security agencies. Not a single bandit has been apprehended or prosecuted. The Federal Government must put its feet down to find an immediate solution to these terrorist acts
“Ohanaeze however,sympathized with the government and people of Enugu State and the affected families in this heinous act”.
MASSOB blasts Igbo leaders
But the separatist group, Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, blamed Igbo leaders who it described as saboteurs to the Igbo cause for the killings.
According to MASSOB leader, Uchenna Madu said: “We blame Igbo leaders for this unchallenged confrontations, unwarranted and cowardice killings of our people by uncircumcised weaklings called Fulani herdsmen in our own land.
“The known enemies has the comfort of committing this outrageous sacrilege today against Ndigbo whom they feared during the Nigeria/Biafra war, because Igbo political, traditional, religious, opinion leaders pander to Buhari.
“Until Igbo leaders wake up from their slumber of inferiority complex and understand the efficiency, efficacy and potency of Igbo based grassroots organizations including the Biafra agitation groups who are diehard of Ndigbo, Igbo land will continue to experience more devastating mesmerization by Buhari’s foot soldiers.
“Why should Igbo governors continue to rely on Hausa Fulani Nigeria security personnel in their states, spending millions of Naira against these marauding criminals while diehard Igbo oriented Igbo youths groups including MASSOB and other Biafra agitating groups are neglected in the defense of Igbo land. MASSOB is not begging Igbo leaders to notice our existence in defence of Igbo land, the security of Igbo land lies on the shoulders of indigenous Igbo youths”.
Abia: ‘Women, traders shot at’
Reports of the Thursday attack are generating ripples in Abia State as palpable fear gripped residents of some communities in the state.
A cross section of community leaders, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard said they had resolved to protect themselves since the herdsmen attacks had continued unabated. Some of the communities have set up vigilant groups to check possible invasion.
While receiving the member representing Aba North/Aba South federal constituency, Hon. Ossy Prestige in Aba, the people of Aba La Ohazu community in Aba South council area of Abia, sent a save our soul message to government over the activities of herdsmen in the area. “We are seeking assistance to Aba La Ohazu farmers who were affected by Fulani herdsmen rampage on their farm crops. Our crops were destroyed by the Fulani cows. We are law abiding citizens, we won’t take the law into our hands,” their spokesman, Eze I.I. Nankwu, told the lawmaker.
In recent times, no community in Abia, has, however, suffered herdsmen invasion except the Abala autonomous community in Obingwa council area. According to the traditional ruler of the community, Eze Paul Ekwenye, herdsmen have stationed their cows in their farms destroying crops while their women were attacked. The monarch called on government to go beyond issuing statement to arrest and prosecute those behind the wanton killings, raping of women and burning being perpetrated by the herdsmen.
Sources in the community said herdsmen, numbering 10 with over 200 cows, had, on July 16,2016, attacked some women on their farms as well as traders from Akwa Ibom on their way to the Orie market in the community.
He said, “Two months ago, herdsmen invaded our farm lands; they attacked women who went to their farm. Traders from Akwa Ibom on their way to our Orie market told me they were also attacked. Some of the women said the herdsmen were shooting guns. We invited the police, but the herdsmen ran away and came back when the police had left. There is tension in this community; every resident is afraid of his life and property. They have used their cows to destroy our crops. This is the way they invaded Ukpabi Nimbo community in Enugu and killed people. We don’t want to be killed in our homes. So, we are appealing to government to deploy security agents to help secure Abala community.”
Imo: Reports of rape, killings, maiming
Reports from Imo State spoke about damning activities of armed cattle rearers, especially in Umuguma and Irete in Owerri West local government area and the agrarian communities in the Ohaji/Egbema local council area.
The reported cases include rape of women and even under-aged girls, outright killing and maiming.
One of such cases angered youths of Irete who blocked the ever busy Owerri-Onitsha dual carriageway. They were protesting against the herdsmen who they accused of harassing the locals and attempting to turn their farmlands into grazing fields for their cattle.
Some of the farmers in the affected communities expressed regret that “while the harassment, killing, raping and maiming of hapless villagers continued unabated, security agencies appeared helpless”.
They expressed fear that the happenings in Plateau, Benue and Enugu States may be replicated in the state, if effective security arrangements were not put in place.
Separately, no fewer than six persons lost their lives in Akokwa, Ideato North local government area of the state, following a clash between the natives and some Hausa settlers.
Giving a graphic account of the incident, Imo State Police Command Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, said an Hausa man simply identified as Kenneth, ran amok and murdered a young lady, as well as an elderly woman before killing himself.
Part of the story that made the rounds had it that the young lady ran to the elderly woman for protection, when Kenneth was pursuing her.
Although it was not clear what led to the hot pursuit, it was however gathered that Kenneth fatally injured the two women with a shovel he found at the scene, before taking his own life.
The PPRO however said that the incident was not a case of invasion by Fulani herdsmen and should not be branded as such.
Anambra: ‘You will pay if you kill cattle, destroy crops’
In Anambra State, after the initial fears of possible herdsmen attacks in the wake of frequent clashes between herdsmen and indigenes in some parts of the country, tension was doused due to the manner in which the state government handled the issue.
Tension had been high in Alor and Oraukwu communities in Idemili North Local Government Area as about 15 herdsmen, armed with AK47 rifles, machetes and daggers, stormed the area. Also, residents of Agbo, Okebunoye and Umunambu villages in Alor community; and its neighbouring Ohokwu deserted their homes for fear of being attacked at night by the armed herdsmen sighted in the communities
The first step taken by Governor Willie Obiano to solve the problem was to set up a joint security outfit headed by the state Commissioner of Police to liaise with affected communities and the herdsmen. Traditional rulers from such communities and leaders of Fulani, especially those who have lived in the state for too long, were made members of the committee.
The committee met several times and eventually agreed with the herdsmen on modalities for compensating for losses when the need arose. For instance, it was agreed that in a situation where there were loss of cattle due to clash between herdsmen and the communities, the communities would pay N50,000 for each cattle. Also, in the case of loss of human life, a compensation of N500,000 would be paid to the family that sustained the loss, while the amount to be paid as compensation for the destruction of crops by the cattle would be determined by the committee.
Obiano said, so far, communities in the state had paid compensation for 35 cattle killed, while the Fulanis paid compensation for the loss the lives of two men at Umumbo community in the early period of the clashes. Both the herdsmen and the communities have also agreed on the regulation of the movement of cattle in all parts of Anambra State. According to the governor, by so doing, peace had reigned.
Ebonyi: Herdsmen curtailed
In Ebonyi State, the activities of herdsmen were said to have, to a large extent, been curtailed by the Umahi administration as the state has not recorded any clash between residents and cattle rearers.
The only reported case has been herdsmen’s encroachment into farmlands and grazing reserves but that trend has reduced, following objections raised by land owners, farmers and the state government.
From developments, however, there seems to be mutual understanding between the herdsmen and the people of the state. Governor David Umahi also set up a community-based security committee comprising of herdsmen and community leaders to mediate issues.
In his last enlarged Security Council Meeting, Umahi stressed the need for Ebonyi people to accommodate herdsmen as some of them have lived in the state for over 40 years.
‘Attacks grow’
Meanwhile a United States-based International Christian Concern’s report about the plight of Nigerian Christians confirms current fears expressed by leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and other stakeholders who believe that the Church is under siege.
ICC’s latest analysis of the situation said: “While north-central Nigeria tethers on the brink of sectarian violence, government continues to ignore mass murder occurring on a near weekly basis. Radical Muslim militants continue to ravage Christian farming communities, razing them to the ground and murdering villagers in attacks that range from the far North into the South East.
“The Nigerian government has failed time and time again to care for and protect its own citizens. The Fulani militants represent no new enemy as they continue to ravage north-central Nigeria, razing Christian farming villages in a continuing hailstorm of fire, gunshots, and brutality since 2001. They have been officially categorized as a terrorist group and could be responsible for up to 80 per cent of Nigerian violent deaths in the ‘Middle Belt’ region of the country.
“While their threat grows continuously, the Muhammadu Buhari-led government merely pays lip service to the violence that has mounted tens of thousands of victims since 2001. While Buhari ordered these terrorists to be disarmed, attacks continue to grow in their geographical breadth and brutality”.
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