ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The Anglican Archbishop of Enugu Diocese, Emmanuel Chukwuma has expressed sadness about the inability of the Federal Government to protect the people from incessant attacks by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen in the South East.
He said the fact that south easterners were defeated in the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 – 1970 did not mean they would be slaves even in their own land.
He called on south east governors to rise up to the security challenge and threat of the Fulani herdsmen to the farmers in the south east.
Chukwuma, speaking in a briefing on Tuesday in Enugu condemned the recent massacre of scores of people at Ukpabi Nimbo Community in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State on Monday by Fulani herdsmen and expressed surprise that no arrest has been made.
The archbishop called on the relevant authorities to curb the activities of Fulani herdsmen, now or face the action of baning the Fulani herdsmen from rearing their cattle in the south east zone.
He said that if the authorities failed to check the activities of these Fulani headsmen the youths of the zone and Biafra agitators would be allowed to move against the Fulani herdsmen in the zone.
The cleric insisted that Fulani Herdsmen were more violent than the Biafra agitators and called on South east governors to rise up to the security challenge.
“I feel bitter, I feel aggrieved. I feel sad that APC government at the centre cannot protect us. We call on the Federal Government to declare state of emergency in Igbo land over the Fulani herdsmen’s threat to security in the zone or else we will declare war against the Fulani Herdsmen.
“I feel sad that APC government at the centre cannot protect us. Failure to curb the activities of Fulani herdsmen will make us to ban the Fulani herdsmen from rearing their cattle in the zone. Any attempt to harass any Igbo youth, any community will not be taken lightly. We will not tolerate it in Igbo land. We are declaring war against the
the Fulains herdsmen. We are calling on Northern elders to caution their people (Fulani’s herdsmen). Government should speak out against this Fulani herdsmen’s menace.
“Failure for the southeast governors to rise to the security challenge, we will pass vote of no confidence in them. Where did the Fulani Herdsmen get the AK 47 riffles. We will bring our own Ogbunigwe out to defend our rights. We will match force with force.
“Fulani herdsmen come to Igbo land, ravage our farm land, rape our women. That we were defeated in the last civil war does not mean we will remain slaves forever even in our land. We will defend our land with our blood and anything including Ogbunigwe. Why was there security lapse? The DSS and other security operatives alerted the
government yet they went ahead with their threat by unleashing mayhem
on the villagers. The Fulani herdsmen are more violent than the Biafra agitators,” he stated.