30th April, 2016
A prominent member of Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohaneze, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has advised Ohaneze youths against reprisal attack following Monday’s killings in Nimbo community in Enugu state by suspected herdsmen.
Iwuanyanwu, who gave the advice in a news conference on Friday in Owerri, also called on the Federal Government to find urgent solution to the incessant attacks on citizens by herdsmen.
He decried the incident in the Enugu community, but urged the youths to be calm and await Federal Government’s reaction on the matter.
According to him, various tribes of Nigeria have co-existed with the Fulani whose major occupation is rearing of cattle before now, and we have not experienced this level of attacks by the herdsmen.
“For us to now witness these new face of herdsmen whose stock in trade is to invade communities, rape women, kill, and raze communities, buildings and farmlands, government and Nigerians must be extra vigilant,” Iwuanayanwu said.
He said that rather than view the activities of the herdsmen as ordinary, the government should see their activities as those of splitter group of Boko Haram.
“The intention of these people is to overrun Nigeria since they now attack at different locations of the country due to the fact that they (Boko Haram) have been dislodged at the Sambisa forest by the Nigerian military,’’ he said.
Iwuanyanwu condemned the attack and destruction of lives and properties during the attack at Nimbo and called on government to urgently send relief materials to the victims.
He also urged the security agencies to intensify efforts at arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators of the attack in the interest of national unity.
“The arrest and prosecution of these herdsmen must be done to guarantee the confidence of the people in government since the primary duty of the government is to protect lives and properties.
“If government should keep mute for these herdsmen to be attacking at different locations, with the support of Boko Haram, Nigeria might be in a very big problem one day,” he said.
He, however, expressed confidence in the ability of the Federal Government to tackle the problem, and urged President Mohammadu Buhari to properly investigate the source of sophisticated arms for the terrorists.