FROM GEORGE ONYEJIUWA, OWERRI
ELDER statesman and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has described last Monday’s killings of the indigenes of Ukpabi Nimbo community in Uzo- Uwani council area of Enugu State by suspected Fulani herdsmen as a dangerous trend, saying that if proactive measures are not taken by the Federal Government to contain the menace, the country may be heading to the precipice.
This was just as the Igbo National Congress has called on Igbo youths to rise up and repel any further attack on Igbo land from whatever quarters .
Iwuanyanwu who stated this yesterday while addressing newsmen on the incident in Owerri, the Imo State capital pointed out that the activities of the Fulani herdsmen in the past 12 months have been of great concern to all men and women who are committed to the unity, peace and economic development of Nigeria and should no longer be treated with levity.
According to him,”these Fulani herdsmen have waged war against many Nigeria communities. Wherever they attacked they were reported to have used sophisticated weapons, they have slaughtered people in a most brutal and uncivilised manner. They have raped women including young girls, married women and aged women, this has become a matter of grave concern to everybody”.
He added, “by our culture and tradition, the greatest injury one can inflict on an Igbo man is to attack and kill him in his home. It is even worse when his property is destroyed,their women brazenly violated. Attack on any Igbo soil is an attack on the entire people”.
Iwuanyanwu said because of the recent menace by the Fulani Herdsmen that most farmers in these areas are afraid to go to their farms for fear that they may be killed, Kidnapped or raped.
The elder statesman tasked the Federal government to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous killing of indigenes of Ukpabi Nimbo.
Meanwhile, the Igbo National Congress has urged the youths of Ndigbo to rise and defend their land.
In a statement signed by the National President of the Organisation, Chilos Godsent said, “we can no longer fold our hands and watch helplessly the orchestrated programme of the annihilation of the Igbo race in Nigeria. It is most disturbing to note that the purported Fulani herdsmen will come to Ala Igbo to destroy our farmlands and still have the gut to attack and kill community people with impunity”.
The statement further said “ on the foregoing, the Igbo National Council call on the Youths to rise up in their numbers now to defend the Igbo land, we also urge all pro Igbo groups wherever they are to begin to mobilise, organise and take patriotic actions to defend the Igbo race and humanity in general against this pogrom”.