Nimbo community has, again, become a ghost town following the return of
Fulani herdsmen who allegedly raped no fewer than six women.
Traditional
ruler of the community, Igwe John Ikemefuna Akoh 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 of the April 25
massacre in the community.
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 Molest 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.
