The people of Enugu State on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 took to the street, protesting the wanton massacre of their kinsmen in Ukpabi Nimbo, rural communities in Uzo-Uwani council area of the state.
The attack, which left scores dead, hundreds displaced and many others battling for survival at various hospitals, has remained point of national discourse, even leading to a summit being organized by the senators from the South East and South South zone.
A group under the aegis of Concerned Citizens of Enugu State, moved to the streets, calling for an end to the wanton killings of their people.
The protesters who marched across the city from New Market through Okpara Avenue, Holy Ghost Park, Edinburgh Street, to the State House of Assembly and ended at the Government House Enugu, called the federal government to tackle the challenge and prevent incidence that may be detrimental to the unity of the country.
The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions which read “stop the killings. No more human blood for cows, Ndigbo are part of humanity, stop the herdsmen massacre at Uzo-Uwani, stop killing Ndigbo, Fulani must go, stop the killing, Buhari sit up, Fulani must go, Ugwuanyi speak up, and operation stay alive, leave Igbos alone”.
Spokesman of the group, Dr. McGinger Ibeneme, decried the incessant destruction of farmlands, killings, rapings and kidnappings of people of the South-East geopolitical zone by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Ibeneme, who spoke emotionally, lamented that “the crux of the matter is that every day people go to their sleep and Fulani cattle herdsmen will come and slaughter them.
“Just few days ago, over 200 people were massacred in their village in Uzo-Uwani. Nobody has said their crime, there has never been any arrest; if anything, the Awgu indigenes were arrested for chasing away the invaders. They had to bail themselves. Their women were raped, and their men abducted, this is too much for us to bear”, he said.
He further said “we have heard about a Catholic priest abducted, we have heard about churches being burnt, we have heard about women being raped. Every single day, day-by-day lives are being lost. The federal government has refused to say anything, the presidency has been quiet over the Fulani.
“Are cows worth more than our lives? Why are they killing us, is it a crime to be a Nigerian? We just want answers. When will the killings stop? Why hasn’t the president sent the army, why hasn’t the president deployed the intelligence agency to look into the killings?
“They call them hoodlums, who are the hoodlums? Do the hoodlums have an army, that they invade a village and kill in hundreds? Were the Nigerian police asleep? Has there been any arrests?” he queried.
He appealed to the people to be vigilant, protect themselves against invaders, maintaining that the government has failed to carry out its responsibility of protecting the people.
