Four
months after herdsmen invaded Nimbo village in Enugu State, killing and maiming
the villagers, another village in the same state was, yesterday, attacked by,
at least, 50 herdsmen leaving death and tears in their wake. The invaded
village was Ndiagu,Attakwu, Akegbe-Ugwu in Nkanu-West Local Government Area of
the state. Some of the victims include 26-year-old Seminarian, Lazarus Nwafor,
on a year apostolic work, who was slaughtered and a six month pregnant woman
whose stomach was ripped open. Pregnant woman's stomach ripped open; four
severely injured Pregnant woman’s stomach ripped open, four severely injured
during the attack. Four members of Ogbodo Nwarum family, whose house the slain
Seminarian was a tenant, also sustained severe machete cuts from the rampaging
herdsmen, who ripped open the stomach of a 6-month pregnant woman, Mrs. Nwarum,
in the operation that started at about 2:15am. The attack on the Enugu
community came on a day four persons, including the son of a World bank
consultant, got drowned in Egbe River, Egbe, in Gbonyin Local Government Area
of Ekiti State, as they were on a World Bank assessment mission to the dam and
had commenced work on Tuesday night. Until his death,Nwafor,was a seminarian at
the Catholic Spiritan International School of Theology, CSIST, Attakwu. The
injured victims are in critical conditions at the Mother of Christ Teaching
Hospital and Parklane Teaching Hospital, Enugu. Visit to Ndiagu Vanguard’s visit
to Ndiagu community at about 11.46am, yesterday, showed that the agrarian
community, which is 10 minutes drive from Enugu metropolis, had been decimated,
following the attack. Economic activities have also ground to a halt, while a
graveyard silence pervade the community. Women and children wailed profusely,
even as elderly men and youths lamented uncontrollably over the brazen manner
herdsmen have raped, robbed, maimed and taken over their farmlands. How the
bubble burst Romanus Ugwu, a farmer in the community, said: “The Fulani
herdsmen were grazing right inside our compounds where we reside last, Tuesday.
Their cows numbered over 100. The women and children on noticing their
presence, quickly rushed and rang the metal gong at the village square. “The sound
emanating from the metal gong caused the cattle to scamper in disarray. The
herdsmen were infuriated by the action of the women and children. They told the
women and children that they would invade them that night. “True to their
words, they struck at about 2.15am. The herdsmen climbed the ceiling of the
rented house where the seminarian resided, jumped down and unlocked the metal
door leading to the parlour. “They now surged in and attacked Ogbodo Nwarum’s
family, whose house the seminarian was a tenant. They used a machete to
slaughter the seminarian and slit open the pregnant woman’s tummy. Three other
family members were seriously injured in the operation that lasted over two
hours. Most of us scampered for safety with our children.” Ugwuanyi summons
emergency security meeting Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, who was
one of the early mourners to the community, said while addressing the people:
“I received the report of an attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen this morning
(yesterday) during which a seminarian was killed and four others injured and
are in hospitals at the moment. “I hasten to condemn this act in its entirety,
for government cannot tolerate the destruction of property and lives by any
group under any guise. I have already summoned a meeting of Fulani community
and security agencies in the state to review the situation and determine
appropriate action to be taken. “It is unfortunate that this incident is coming
just days after the commission of inquiry set up to look into the killing at
Nimbo submitted an interim report. I wish to, on behalf of the state
government, express our sympathy to this community. “I assure them that
government will do everything to ensure that the culprits are apprehended and
brought to book. Government will cater for those in the hospitals. I want to
reassure the citizens in the state of governments’ unwavering efforts to ensure
that security of lives and property is maintained in every corner of the
state.” Enugu Cathloic bishop cries out Crest fallen Bishop of Enugu Diocese,
Most Rev. Callistus Onaga, appealed to the Federal Government to restructure
the security architecture in the country, especially in the South East
geopolitical zone to battle the growing insecurity challenges plaguing the
region. “We appeal to our Fulani brothers to extend the same hand of brotherly
love which our people have extended to them by accommodating them in our
communities,” he aid. Traditional ruler at a loss Traditional ruler of Attakwu,
Igwe Greg Ugwu, said: “It is a sad development in the community because we
cannot point to what warranted these killings and attacks on hapless natives in
their ancestral home. “This incident happened at about 2.15am. What would
Fulani herdsmen be doing at about this ungodly hour? Their cows were grazing in
people’s residential compounds and their offence was that they rang the metal
gong to scare the cows away from their compound.” Black Thursday Caretaker
Chairman of Nkanu-West Local Government Area, Afam Okereke, described the act
on the community as a “Black Thursday.” He said: “I am shocked. It is black
Thursday for us. Despite security meetings we have been holding, I requested
that all the Fulani members in this community submit their names. The list
until now, has not been submitted. The essence of the list is for us to know
who is who. “The seminarian just finished his pastoral work last Tuesday.
Fulani herdsmen went and killed him in his house where he was a tenant. “There
was no quarrel. Just that the natives chased their cows away from their
compounds by sounding the metal gong.” Reacting to the incident, Deputy Senate
President, Ike Ekweremadu, condemned it in very strong terms, saying the
incessant attacks on parts of the country by suspected herdsmen posed a grave
threat to the peace, security, and economy of the country and called on the
Federal Government to take decisive steps to put a full stop to the ugly
incidents. Meanwhile, tragedy struck in Egbe dam, yesterday, when four persons,
including a man believed to be the son of a World Bank consultant, were
reported to have drowned in Egbe River, Egbe community in Gbonyin Local
Government Area of Ekiti State. The deceased were said to be workers on a World
Bank assessment mission to the dam and had commenced work on Tuesday night.
Names of victims Those that died in the boat mishap include Bamidele Waheed
Alayande, Tirimisiyu Alaran, David Malu and one Albert, while the survivors,
who are receiving treatments in the hospital are Charles Ehinlaye, Bukky Ajet
and Yahaya Mohammed. The project, according to a source at the Dam, is jointly
owned by the World bank and Ekiti State government. They were said to have come
from Development Dams and Irrigation Schemes, Kaduna State, and met their
untimely end when a boat conveying seven of them and their equipment capsized.
The bodies of the dead were fished out by local fishermen, who were said to
have been mobilised by the Chairman of Gbonyin Local Government Area, Mrs.
Folasade Akinrinmola. Mrs. Akinrinmola, in a telephone chat with newsmen, said
she was notified of the incident by the traditional ruler of the community.
Police confirms tragedy Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer
of Ekiti State Police Command, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, said: “They must have come
from the Federal Ministry because dams are owned by the Federal Government;
their boat capsized, four of them died, while three survived.” Tragedy
unfortunate —Ekiti govt Reacting to the incident, Ekiti State government
described it as unfortunate. Commissioner for Public Utilities, Mr. Ayodeji
Adesua, said the consultants were engaged to carry out a survey and data
analysis of dams in the state. No W/Bank staff drowned – spokesman However, The
World Bank in a reaction, last night, said none of the victims of Egbe Dam tragedy
was its staff but failed to identify the victims. The Bank in a terse statement
issued by the spokesman, Mr. Kabiru Ali Muhammed, said: “The World Bank Group
expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the
drowning tragedy that took place on the Egbe Dam. ‘’Contrary to some reports,
no staff members of the World Bank Group were involved in this accident, though
we are saddened by this unfortunate event.”
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