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- Appeal to government at federal, state levels to beef up security, provide relief materials to survivors
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Following the recent attack and killings of several residents of Agojeju Odo in Omala local government area of Kogi State, various stakeholders have condemned the incident and called on both the federal and State governments to beef up security in the area to forestall reoccurrence.
The National Coordinator, Ugane Club in Omala Council area, Dr. James Odaudu condemned the killings and appealed to the federal and State governments to do the needful.
Also, the interim President, Igala Cultural Development Association ( ICDA), Pastor Emmanuel Ameadaji condemned in the strongest terms the unwarranted assault and killing of innocent citizens in Agojeju Odo.
Pastor Ameadaji urged the State government to rise up to the occasion and save the situation from further attack by the herdsmen in the area, adding that, “innocent citizens are unnecessarily being provoked and killed”.
These were contained in a statement made available to Daily Sun by the respective stakeholders.
According to Dr James Odaudu, “In the wake of the human carnage that was visited on the Agojeju-odo Community in Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State on Thursday by Fulani herdsmen, it has become necessary to remind the Federal Government, the government of Kogi State and the Igala Traditional Council of their responsibilities for the security of lives of the people.
“It is worrisome that 48 hours after the dastardly and gruesome murder of over 30 innocent and law-abiding citizens in the sleepy farming community, even with gory pictures of the vicious and callous human tragedy in the public space, there have been no official reactions from the Federal and Kogi state governments, including the Igala Traditional Council.
“As a socio-cultural organisation committed to the welfare of Igala people of Omala extraction, Ugane Club views the silence of the government and the Traditional Council as not only nonchalant but a betrayal of the people’s trust for safety and security.
“Ugane Club notes that Thursday’s attack on Agojeju-odo was not the first time communities in Omala Local Government have been brought under the heavy gunpowder of the marauding herdsmen. There are cases of commercial centres of Bagana and Iyade which have been completely taken over by these aliens. The case of Agbenema also comes to mind
“Ugane Club condemns the unconscionable and callous murder of defenceless inhabitants, including women and children in Agojeju-odo and other communities before it, in the strongest possible terms, and calls on governments at all levels to rise up to their responsibilities of protecting law-abiding citizens, especially in Omala Local Government Area in order to avoid a loss of confidence and resort to self-help.
“We also wish to remind the authorities of an earlier request for the establishment of security outposts at the boundaries of Kogi State with the Benue and Nasarawa States through which the herdsmen terrorists come in to carry out their attacks on Omala Local Government Area and other parts of Igala Kingdom.
“Ugane Club further urges the Igala Traditional Council led by His Majesty, the Attah Igala, to take all possible measures to protect his Kingdom from being overrun by these alien herdsmen who bear no sociocultural similarities with the peaceful nomadic Fulanis that have co-habited with the Igala people for decades.
“Ugane Club commiserates with the people of Omala Local Government Area, especially the traumatised Agojeju-odo Community over the loss of their loved ones and displacement from their ancestral lands and hopes that those whose responsibility it is to bring succour to them will rise up to the challenge”
For the ICDA interim President, “The Igala Cultural Development Association ICDA has condemned in the strongest terms the unwarranted assault and killing of innocent citizens in Agojeju in Omala local government area of the state.
“We wondered why the state government has not uttered a word since the unfortunate incident where innocent citizens are unnecessarily being provoked and killed mercilessly.
“The people of Kogi East are bonafide citizens of the country, so the extreme silence of both federal and state governments over the dastardly act leaves much to be desired.
“The people of Kogi East are not known cowards but peaceful citizens with warrior ancestors. However, we are calling on the state government to immediately send relief materials to the people of Agojeju as well as security personnel to ward off further attacks”.
