Enugu herdsmen attack: Another victim dies in hospital

ENUGU—another victim of the last Thursday’s dawn attack by herdsmen on Ndiagu, Attaukwu in Akagbe-Ukwu community, Nkanu-West Local Government Area of Enugu State, Mrs. Ifeoma Agbo, yesterday died at the Mother of Christ Hospital, Enugu, Enugu State. Armed Fulani-herdsmen Mrs. Agbo was the mother-in-law, of the six-month pregnant woman, whose stomach was ripped open  by the over 50 rampaging herdsmen, who invaded their community and  killed  a seminarian, Lazarus Nwafor. Meanwhile, reactions have continued to trail the invasion of the village by the herdsmen as the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, Senator Gilbert Nnaji and Enugu State Councillors Forum described the incident as unwarranted and called on the state government to protect the people of the state. CLO flays killings The Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, in a statement, yesterday, while condemning  the brazen murder and killing of innocent citizens in different parts of the South East region by herdsmen, described it as callous. Mr Aloysius Attah, Chairman, CLO, South East Zone in a statement, yesterday, said: “The latest incident that happened last Thursday  when Ndigbo were yet to get over the shock of the Nimbo and Uzo Uwani killings in this same manner is callous, provocative, wicked, premeditated and smacks of a clear intent to continue decimating a particular ethnic group even in their own fatherland. Attah urged  the governor of Enugu State to  immediately summon all the traditional rulers and President General of all the communities in the state to ascertain the actual number of communities harboring

the herdsmen in any form. He said further: “This is pure act of barbarism and terrorism against the people while the actors are emboldened to carry on in their ignoble role because we were made to understand that some people own the country while others are second class citizens. “We had noted that beside the killings at Nimbo, in Enugu State, other cases have been reported at various parts of the South East, including  Amaoha in Ikwuano Local Government of Abia State, where a herdsman was alleged to have pulled a rifle aimed at killing the traditional ruler of the community and some of his subjects. “While we commend the Enugu State governor, Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Rt. Rev. Callistus Onaga, for their prompt and timely visits to the scene of the latest incident and their interface with the people of the area to douse tension, we dare say that the situation has turned desperate and also needs desperate solution. Senator Nnaji Meanwhile, Senator Gilbert Nnaji,  representing Enugu East Senatorial District, said he was particularly saddened that the killing by the suspected cattle rearers happened again in Enugu, and this time, in his senatorial constituency, just a few months after the gruesome invasion and attack on Nimbo, another community in Enugu North Senatorial Zone. Nnaji appealed to the leaders and people of Ndiagu Attakwu in Akegbe-Ugwu community  not to take laws into their hands by contemplating reprisal action against the Fulani herdsmen anywhere in the state until investigations were  concluded. He, however,  called on the Federal Government to be more proactive in stepping up a “water tight security” in Enugu State and all other vulnerable communities in the various states of the country where the activities of suspected Fulani herdsmen are well pronounced. The lawmaker also urged the owners of the cattle herds to urgently adopt a known practice in the North-Western states like Sokoto and others, where grazing cattles are gagged with strong woven raffia pouch before being allowed to graze through farm lands. Relatedly, the Enugu State Councillors Forum,ESCF, has demanded the immediate ban on any form of grazing throughout the perimeters of the state. The former councillors also vowed as chief security officers in the 260 wards in the state,to put its foots on the ground to forestall a recurrence  of the dastardly act in any part of the state.