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Ladies and gentlemen, everyone, today again, 22/08/2019, our stalls and offices received disheartening news over the unlawful killing of a woman (an Igbo woman) who hails from Nchatancha community Emene, Enugu East LGA by persons suspected to be herdsmen. In fact, reports received from members of the community and those around it describe the perpetrators of this heinous act as ‘Fulani’ herdsmen. Some reports stress the shameful and heart-rending manner of this death.
Angry youth demonstrators took over various locations in the capital today following up this incident with protests and various staged demonstrations over the unlawful killings.
We note that various other communities within Enugu have had to deal with these sorts of incidents before and have as before, reported these incidents to the authorities, yet, have failed to see relief.
We have received assurances from the State Government and other well-minded persons that the situation is well in hand and that the killings will stop but as we have seen with this latest instance the killings are not stopping, and the situation has still not been arrested.
We commend the efforts of the Government however it may seem to us as though there is a definite lack of potency regarding them and we, the members of the Igbo Farmers Progressive Union (IFPU) will not sit idly by and watch our communities and dearly beloved peoples come to further ruin.
Therefore, we recommend and suggest, prompt actions by this government, as a matter of urgency in
· Investigating, arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators of this act
· Opening initiatives towards compensating the immediate victims of this act (according to pre-laid modalities).
These are short term actions.
Over the longer term, we recommend firmer and more decisive actions by this government (and all other governments within Igboland beset by the menace of killer herdsmen) in securing us against this menace
· The enactment of a law proscribing ‘Open Grazing’, as a key solution and deterrent to the herdsmen menace in all our communities and across all ramifications
· Deploying effective monitoring and conservatory patrols of all our farmlands and forests.
It would seem to us to be something of a misnomer to apply herding and shepherding activities to persons who have clearly become terrorists; we the members of the IFPU must not make ourselves complicit in these acts of terrorism by either keeping silent or failing to speak out or act.
The people must have recourse to their government(s). And where there is a wrong, there must be a remedy.
Acting Director, New Media (IFPU)
Kelechi Nwa Ishiodu.