Ebonyi Killings: Wake Up From Slumber, Eastern Union Tells South Easterners

LAGOS – Following the attack on wor­shippers last Sunday in Ebonyi State by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen, leading to the death of several people on their way to Church service, the Eastern Union (EU), a political pressure group for the people of the Old Eastern Region, has called on the South Easterners to wake up from slumber.

It would be recalled that sus­pected herdsmen, on Sunday, at­tacked Amegu village, Nkalaha community in the Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, killing several residents and setting houses ablaze.

The assault was believed to be a reprisal following the re­ported killing of cattle belong­ing to herdsmen in the area.

Speaking exclusively to Sun­day Independent, on Saturday, Hon. Charles Anike, National President, Eastern Union (EU), said the latest attack was an­other wake-up call on the East­erners, especially Ndigbo, their leaders and the entire Eastern Region of Nigeria.

Anike lamented, “Just last Sunday, the same rampaging Fulani terrorists invaded and extended their usual terror ac­tivities in a more deadly attack on the people of Amaku Com­munity in Isu local area of Eb­onyi State.

“This unwarranted attack, according to Sahara Reporters, left about 30 people dead and many houses burnt and razed down by the terrorists’ assas­sins.

“According to the report, the villagers are confident and seri­ously pointing fingers at the Ni­gerian military and the police as the powers behind the scene and accomplices of the terrorists.

“The villagers narrated how, prior to the full-scale attack, the security authorities deceitful­ly visited the community and discouraged them from fleeing their homes by assuring them of military and police protec­tion.

“But, on the contrary, the attackers were at hand to take advantage of the fake assuranc­es of the military and police and launched a deadly attack on the community, since most of the villagers were relaxed, many went to Church services and some to their farms.”

Still referring to the Saha­ra Reporters, Hon. Anike, a political activist, stressed that throughout the terrorist oper­ation, which reportedly lasted for about six hours, the security agents that assured the people of protection and safe haven never showed up until after the killings and arson.

Anike stressed: “Still very disheartening from the report is that the Army and Police lat­er hypocritically showed up to console the villagers, but still threatened that the villagers should not post the pictures and videos of the attacks on the media.

“To confirm the threat, the Nigerian Army and police al­legedly seized many phones of the villagers.”

Anike then asked: “Who those behind the Fulani terror­ists operating in the East? Why did the State Government not have pre-knowledge of this well calculated attack?

“What is the significance of the heavy military and po­lice presence in the zone? Why didn’t these bloody terror at­tacks make headlines, or even reported in the Nigerian media spaces with seriousness?

“As we still are looking for­ward to the answers to the above questions, one would still like to know why the Ebonyi State government did not show more interest and concern whenever the villagers were accused of killing Fulani cows but became lame duck as the Fulani took their cows to destroy the farm­ers’ farms?”

Anike lamented that some South-East governors and oth­er political office holders are shameless and by their actions or inactions, are connivance of the terror activities that had continued to ravage the zone.

He stressed: “Otherwise they should prove their innocence by matching their empty words with actions. By the way, what are the Fulani killer-herdsmen still doing in the East, after many killings and kidnapping were traced to them?

“Unless the South-East gov­ernors take hard stands like the ex-governors of Benue and Ondo states, respectively, Mr. Samuel Ortom and the late Rotimi Akeredolu, were men that damned the consequences to defend their people against constant Fulani herdsmen at­tacks.

“Why can’t the South-East governors collaborate to jointly establish a formidable securi­ty outfit like their South-West counterparts did?

“Do we have to continue to mourn and bury our people? Please, what special interest does any government derive from having Internally Dis­placed Persons in our own coun­try, without any declaration of war.

“The only solution to all this irresponsibility of the govern­ment and their security opera­tives, and to end the unwarrant­ed killings in every part of the East, is for our people to wake up from their slumber and defend themselves.”