Herdsmen just started terrorizing Nimbo community again, and they have allegedly raped no less than six women.
Igwe John Ikemefuna Akoh, the traditional ruler of the
community revealed this to Nsukka General Assembly when the group paid a
visit to his palace before making a donation of over N1.4 million to the victims flowing from the 25th April 2016 massacre in Nimbo.
In his words: “We are glad you people are here today to also share
our present fear. For the past two days, our people have not been going
to farm as Fulani herdsmen have taken over the entire farm in Nimbo
community destroying farmlands and threatening to unleash more terror.
Some of our people who saw them said they told them that they were back
to unleash more terror with more sophisticated weapons. The herdsmen
chased them away and ushered their cattle into the farm. Since then,
many people have left the village because they are afraid that more
disastrous attack would happen at any time.
“We have called the Divisional Police Officer in charge of this area
and he said they did not have fuel in their vehicle,” the Igwe said.
However, when Chief Nnia Nwodo, who is a member of the group called
the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State, Emmanuel Ojukwu, to intimate
him on the report, he confirmed the report and said Nsukka Area Command
has been instructed to arrest the situation and promised he was on the
way to Nimbo.
However, Chairman of Nsukka General Assembly, Prof. Lawrence Ochor
called on the state government to declare a state of emergency in Enugu
State to avoid another attack even as he urged the community to protect
themselves with any available means within their reach. “I urge the
youths of Nimbo to mobilise themselves and protect their village from
the menace of Fulani herdsmen. We cannot run away from our village, it
is time full state of emergency is declared so as to avert another
possible attack. We are confident that the administration of Governor
Ugwuanyi is on top of this matter but, more effort is needed from
everybody to rescue our state from the hands of Fulani herdsmen.”
While donating over N1.4 million on behalf of the group to the
victims, Ochor urged the victims to forget the attack and move on with
their lives, believing God to provide for them. The community, has
however called on the state government to declare state of emergency in
the area so as to help avert the impending danger. Speaking through
their spokesman, Apostle Dr. Akachukwu Clement, the community said their
lives have been threatened following the return of Fulani herdsmen and
therefore, called Ugwuanyi to take more drastic actions to save the
community.
“No amount of security personnel can stop these people.”
However, Nwodo has affirmed that Nsukka people and Enugu State in
general cannot condone any other attack from Fulani herdsmen and that
further attack on any Enugu Community will be disastrous to Nigeria as a
whole.
Similarly, the parish priest of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Nimbo,
Rev. Fr. Obetta Okeke pleaded with the state government to come to their
rescue.
He also revealed that the herdsmen have continued to rape their women
and were threatening to unleash more mayhem in the community. “We are
calling on the state and Federal Government to come to our rescue as
these herdsmen continue to attack our villagers. The war is not over.
Many women have been raped and our people have not been going to farm
for the past two days and that farm is the only source of income to the
community. Hectares of farm lands have been destroyed since their return
and as raining season will soon stop, famine will soon hit this
community and Enugu at large as Uzouwani is considered the food basket
of this state,” Fr. Okeke said.
Meanwhile, the military personnel posted to the community following
the attack of April 25 have abandoned the community without any known
cause.
According to the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe John Akoh,
the military people who have been in the area since the attack recently
disappeared without any known reason and it has created more fear in the
community.
“Our people are in fear not only because the herdsmen have returned
but also because the military people who have been here just disappeared
without informing anybody or saying anything to us. And in just few
days after their withdrawal, the herdsmen returned. And if you recall,
the same thing happened when the herdsmen attacked us in April.
The security agencies were patrolling around during that time but
just few minutes to the attack, they disappeared and our people were
butchered on that day. So, the same thing is happening now and it made
our people to be living in fear while others have left the community.
Today is our market day, but you can see that nobody is there because
they have all left the community,” the Igwe said.
Culled from Sun News
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