The Enugu State
governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has blamed the security agencies for their failure to avert the suspected Fulani herdsmen rampage on Ukpabi-Nimbo
community in Uzouwani Local Government Area, insisting he took all the
cautionary measures to forestall the attack, reports ITRealms.
This is coming as Gov.
Ugwuanyi has set up a judiciary commission of inquiry to investigate the
immediate and remote causes of all the violent occurrences in the State
associated with suspected Fulani herdsmen and recommend appropriate measures
that will be put in place to prevent future occurrence.
Disclosing this on
Friday at a meeting with key stakeholders in the state, including the Deputy
Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; members of the National and State Assemblies;
Council Chairmen and members of the State Executive Council; as well as Peoples
Democratic Party chieftains at the Government House to review the extent of the
invasion on Nimbo, said scores of people were killed and property worth
millions of naira destroyed.
He insisted that his
leadership in Enugu State did everything possible to ensure the carnage was
averted, declaring that “Only the security agencies can answer why” the attacks
took place as they had given him assurances that the herdsmen attacks would be
forestalled.
According to him, “On
Sunday, April 24, 2016, by 7 pm, the night before this carnage took place,
I got security information from Uzo-Uwani Local Government Transition Chairman,
Hon. Cornell Onwubuya that such an incident was likely to take place in the
state.
“I immediately
summoned a meeting of the State Security Council, which commenced by 10pm,
attended by the following: 1. Garrison Commander Brigadier General Olufemi
Akinjobi who normally represents the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82
Division Nigerian Army; 2. The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Nwodibo Ekechukwu; 3. The State Director of Department State
Security Services (DSS), Mr. M. Abdul Malik; 4. The State Commandant of the
Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr. Lar Stephen; 5. Representatives
of the Nigerian Air force, Federal Road Safety Corps and Nigerian Prison
Services, who attended as observers.
“From the side of
government were, myself, the Governor, the Deputy Governor, the Secretary to
the State Government, the Chief of Staff, the Chairman, State Traditional
Rulers Council and the Honourable Attorney General of the State,” he explained.
Ugwuanyi also
expressed confident after receiving assurances from the Commissioner of Police
that the Area Commander of SARS was on ground in Nimbo, and that the
Anti-Terrorism Unit was at Nimbo.
“That he was in
contact with the Kogi State Commissioner of Police and reported suspected
herdsmen grouping at Odolu in Kogi State preparatory for an attack on Nimbo and
Abbi communities. That Police mobile force and conventional police were already
drafted to Nimbo and Abbi communities. That he was in touch with the Area
Commander, ldah, ACP lkegwuonwu and had linked him with the Area Commander,
Nsukka, ACP Monday Kuryas,” the governor said.
He went on to explain
that “Both men, according to the CP, reported that there were no traces of
suspected herdsmen in Nsukka or Idah; that he ordered the Area Commander,
Nsukka to redeploy to Nimbo; That the Garrison Commander on his part assured
the meeting that Military was already deployed to Nimbo and the State
Government provided logistics for these deployments.
“After receiving these
assurances of deployments to Nimbo, I felt quite confident that we had done
everything possible to forestall an attack on Nimbo," he said, stressing that
he “deliberately narrated what transpired at the security council meeting fully
conscious of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution pertaining to my oath
of office.
“I am doing this in
due discharge of my duties as Governor. Sadly, in the early hours of Monday reports
of this carnage reached me. More disturbing was the report that the
attack of innocent and defenceless citizens were carried out at about 6:30am.
“Further reports
available to me indicate that apart from the killing and maiming of innocent
and defenceless citizens of Nimbo, a Church was also burnt. Following this
development, I engaged the security agencies in order to ensure that the Nimbo
area was secured from further attacks that might escalate the situation.”
Ugwuanyi stated that
“on Tuesday, April 26, 2016, I visited Nimbo in order to establish firsthand
the extent of carnage,” lamenting that his visit to Nimbo was revealing as he came face to face with the wounded
and bereaved.
“I saw burnt and
damaged personage of Christ Holy Church. I saw a traumatized community in shock
and despair. I saw a dead body. I wept,” wondering what has become of
the quest for a united, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.
“Our first national
anthem had a phrase which went thus: ‘though tribe and tongue may differ, in
brotherhood we stand,” he said.
The governor further
alluded that “only two weeks ago we gave a posthumous award to Alhaji Umaru
Altine, a Katsina born Muslim who was elected mayor of Enugu before the Civil
War, in the period that Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was leader of the NCNC.
“Now in less than
three months, violent clashes have occurred in Enugu State in Awgu, Nike, Abbi
and Nimbo between suspected Fulani herdsmen and our people. This situation
cannot be allowed to continue,” he said.
Gov. Ugwuanyi also
said he sought audience with His Excellency, the President and
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
“Our discussions were
frank and cordial. I am very grateful to the President and Commander-in-Chief
of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, for his prompt and decisive reaction to
the incident in Nimbo.
“The President came
out with a clear and unmistakable condemnation of this dastardly act and gave
clear and definite directives to the security agencies to fish out these
criminals and bring them to justice.
“l have called you
today not just to brief you on what has happened so far, but to discuss in
depth with you on what we must all do to prevent the occurrence of such
incidents in the future.
For Ugwuanyi, “So long
as we are Nigerians, we cannot live in isolation, but those who come to Enugu
must respect our values and not engage in such dastardly act as we have
witnessed recently.”
Pix: Gov. Ugwuanyi.
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