Unprovoked killings can cause civil war, Umahi says as herdsmen attack Ebonyi

Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi has frowned at the attack on the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen, warning that the current unprovoked killings sweeping across the states of Nigeria could lead to war.

The governor, who bared Fulani herdsmen from entering Enyanwu Igwe village, in Izzi Local Government Area of the state, pending the conclusion of investigation into what led to herdsmen killings in the area, said that he would not tolerate what happened in Benue where 76 were killed.

A recent attack by herdsmen recent in Enyanwu Igwe village left four persons dead with two still in critical conditions.

But speaking during an enlarged security meeting at the government House, Abakaliki, the governor regretted the killings, warning that such could provoke national war.

The national chairman of Myetti Allah, Alhaji Bello Bodejo, who also spoke at the event, collaborated with Umahi that the incessant killings by herdsmen might spark-off national war.

He said, ”It is unprovoked killings, life is so sacred. You can’t kill people as if they are fowls. Izzi people are warriors, I physically held them not to go for retaliation. The herdsmen there in Izzi have to leave the place for now until I can calm everybody down. The way we are going, it can provoke national war and it will not help anybody. If there is reprisal attack, I will hold all the leaders squarely responsible, I will charge all of you for any reprisal attack.

”The lives of every Ebonyian is very dear to me. God forbid, I can’t withstand where 76 people were killed like in Benue, I can’t withstand it. Some people may be fighting to die but we fight to live, lets use wisdom and handle the matter.

“This is a national problem; we don’t want the killing of our to continue. We must use wisdom to handle this problem. It is very easy to say I want all the herdsmen to leave Ebonyi but there are lots of implication.”

Not happy that herdsmen failed to abide by the agreement it entered into with the state government, Umahi said, “We banned under aged herders, we banned night grazing in the state. We have no grazing routes in Ebonyi which means that nobody has the right to carry cattle by route to Ebonyi state and we agreed on that.

“We also agreed with the herdsmen that the first offender must be prosecuted. We also said that no farmer should go to farm with gun and no herdsmen should rear cattle with gun or matchete, it is stick. We must abide by these rules”.

READ ALSO : Hours after Buhari left, herdsmen killed Catechist, others in Benue

Speaking, national chairman of Myetti Allah, Bello Bodejo said,

“Ebonyi state is very peaceful and it is accommodating to our members. It has been so accommodating to our members even more than some Northern states of the federation and we condemn these killings in this state . There are minors and migrants who are causing these lots of problems. There are also criminals moving as cattle herders who are causing these havocs. The chairman of Myetti Allah of various states in the south east and south are all here and we are not happy with what happened, we condemn these killings in totality.

“Nigeria is confronted with so many security challenges and one of them is the unfortunate farmer/herder conflict. If this conflict is not resolved, it has the potential of throwing this country into unnecessary chaos.”

Following the attack in Ebonyi, the national chairman and the leaders of herders across South East and South-South, it was learnt, will be holding a two-day meeting with the herdsmen in the state.

 

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