Residents of Egedege, Obegu and Amazu communities of Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State who were gruesomely attacked by suspected herdsmen have recounted their ordeals. Members of the three communities, numbering over 25 were allegedly killed on the night of March 29 when gunmen suspected to be herdsmen attacked their communities unprovoked.
Many others sustained various degrees of injury, while vehicles and motorcycles were burnt. The attackers, it was further learnt, also looted some properties in the area. A priest of the Methodist Church was among those killed. Sources revealed that the herdsmen attack is retaliatory and not unconnected to the killing of two herdsmen in the same area of the current conflict in 2020.
This much was alluded to in the reaction of the state governor to the incident. Governor David Umahi, during a visit to the communities affected by the violence to ascertain the level of damage done by the assailants, condemned the attack, and commiserated with the bereaved families. However, a visibly furious Gov. Umahi, said the attack was a calculated attempt to kill the people of the communities and directed security operatives to fish out the perpetrators and make sure they face the law.
He stated that “I got the most shocking news this afternoon about the attack on about four communities of Nkalaha, Obegu, Amaezu and Umuhuali in Ishielu Local Government Area of the state by AK-47 welding herdsmen that killed 15 members of these communities. “I remembered that about a year ago, we had an incident of the killing of two herdsmen within this same location and immediately the security agencies, the local government chairman and community leaders came together to condemn the attack and the killing.
And we immediately asked the security agencies to fish out the people that did that and they did fish them out and as we talk, they are standing trial in Ebonyi State, and the community and security agencies appeased the herdsmen and made peace with them.” The governor, while calling for calm, assured the youths of Nkalaha, Obegu, Amaezu and Umuhuali communities that justice would be done. He wondered how all the herdsmen in Ishielu Local Government Area vacated the council area unless they were forewarned of the attack, and as such were part of the conspiracy to perpetuate the killings.
According to him, the state government has knowledge about the identity of some of the sponsors of the attack and the attackers themselves. Recounting her ordeal, a 25-year-old native of Obeagu community, one of the affected communities, Angela Osinachi, said on the day of the attack, about four herdsmen were seen by some children moving about in the forest ahead of the attack. She narrated that “some elders told them (children) not to say so and that they (Fulani herdsmen) could be some forest guards from Enugu. But, as we were just contemplating that evening, we started to hear sounds of gunshots here and there. “That was when people started running helter-skelter for their lives. That night, we ran and ran through the bush to Enugu State from Ebonyi State. Some even slept in the bush that night. Those people killed many people and destroyed some property.
They really dealt with us. Many people were killed.” Another member of the community, 77-year-old Mrs. Rosemary Ozara, said that “it was on Monday evening. We as village people were preparing to cook night food and some had even finished cooking and were about to sleep, when all of a sudden, we began to hear gunshots from everywhere. “Then we started running and kept running through the bushes until we got to Ehamufu in Enugu State. We just got back to this village to get some food to eat. About 20 persons were killed in this community and not talking about those from Enugu, who were travelling through the community from other cities.”
The Town Union President of Nkalagu Autonomous Community, Omebe Joseph Chigbo, said the Fulani herders invaded the communities with sophisticated weapons in broad day light. He said more than 15 people were killed. According to him, the community didn’t have any problem with the herders who they had allowed to settle in their area. “It is a very sad situation, and we can’t think right at this moment. I don’t know what their problem was.
How would I know that in the night strangers living in your place suddenly left, and the next news you got the next day was a massacre? How will I know what caused their wicked act. There has not been any situation whereby we got into any serious issue with them. “We have been living peacefully; suddenly we woke up with these corpses as a gift. Personally, when I counted the number of people killed, they were about 16 before my emotions overcame me.
I couldn’t hold my emotions anymore” he stated. Meanwhile, the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in Ebonyi State has declared a total ban on opening grazing in every locality following the Egedegede killings in Ishielu council area of the state. The association also issued a 72- hour ultimatum to the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the ugly act in the state.
Addressing journalists in Abakaliki, the spokesman of the association who is the Chairman of Izzi Local Government Area, Chief Paul James Nwogha, decried the defenseless killings in the area, saying the incident is saddening. He said that the grassroots leaders in Ebonyi State including the 13 council chairmen and 64 development centre coordinators endorsed the decision.
“What happened in the three communities in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State is totally condemnable, where over 25 persons were killed in some communities by suspected herdsmen. We condemn in its entirety the unprovoked killing of innocent people. Nothing on earth, will excuse the unwarranted attack levelled against our people. “And we want to tell the general public, that it is fortunate because in Ebonyi State, we have been living and co-existing peacefully without differences. But surprisingly, what we are paid back with for the peace given is the killing of our innocent people. From today henceforth, we support the law against open grazing in Ebonyi State.
“If you want to operate open grazing in Ebonyi State, you should be ready to meet with us because both the development centre coordinators and the local government chairmen of this state are already on watch to make sure that what happened in Ishielu does not repeat itself,” Chief Nwogha stated. He accused the security agencies in the state of not doing enough and challenged them to within 72 hours apprehend the perpetrators of the violence and bring them to justice. While appealing to the people living in affected localities, the ALGON spokesman urged them to remain calm to enable security agencies discharge their duties. “We are not against anybody in Ebonyi State, but what we are all seeking for is to protect our people.
And we say anybody who has the intention of coming to destroy Ebonyi State from today henceforth, is going to meet the highest resistance whatsoever,” he added.
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