Suspected
herdsmen yesterday attacked a community in Enugu, killing one person and
injuring four others, among them an expectant woman who was reportedly stabbed
in the stomach.
Attakwu
Akegbe Ugwu community in Nkanu West council area – not far from Enugu
metropolis – was attacked at dawn by the herdsmen.
It
was the second attack, after the one at Nimbo. Nine people were buried
following that attack. A judicial commission of enquiry set up by Governor
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has just submitted a preliminary report on the attack.
In
yesterday’s incident, four persons including the husband of the
expectant woman, are critically injured, undergoing treatment at the Park Lane
Hospital and the Mother of Christ Hospital in Enugu.
A
Catholic Church seminarian, Lazarus Nwafor, who on Wednesday completed
his apostolic work at the local church, was killed.
Ugwuanyi
and the Catholic bishop of Enugu Diocese, Bishop Callistus Onaga, visited the
community.
They
were conducted round the scene of the attack by Hon. Afam Okeke, chairman of
Nkanu West Local Council.
According
to the villagers’ account, the herdsmen, believed to be Fulani, invaded a
family compound with their cows which destroyed crops and property.
A
woman in the compound raised the alarm and chased away the cows by sounding a
gong. The cows went in various directions on hearing the sound. They are said
to be averse to the sound of a gong.
This
reportedly did not go down well with the herdsmen who challenged the woman.
They were said to have threatened to retaliate. They raided the compound at
about 2am.
They
reportedly climbed the ceiling from where they jumped into the rooms, using
machetes and daggers to attack the occupants, including the seminarian.
The
herdsmen were said to have escaped unhurt and when the community’s men stormed
their makeshift camp, they were all gone with their belongings.
Ugwuanyi
told members of the Atakwu community that enough was enough on the herdsmen’s
attacks. He said he would no longer fold his arms while people were being
killed.
He
said the people would henceforth do everything to defend themselves.
The
governor expressed regrets that the attack happened in spite of doing
everything to ensure that the Nimbo attack was the last.
In
a statement later, Ugwuanyi said: “I received the report of an attack by
suspected herdsmen in the Attakwu community during which one person-a
seminarian – was killed and four others injured.
“Even
though the Police are still conducting investigation into the matter, I hasten
to condemn this act in the strongest terms and its entirety for government
cannot tolerate the wanton destruction of lives anywhere in Enugu State by
anyone or group under any guise whatsoever.
“I
have already summoned a meeting with the Fulani community and the security
agencies in Enugu State this afternoon to review the situation and determine
the appropriate actions to be taken.
“It
is indeed unfortunate that this incident is coming just days after the
Commission of Inquiry into the killings at Nimbo submitted an interim report
and is about to conclude its assignment.
“I
wish on behalf of the State Government, to express my sympathies to the family
of the deceased, I assure them that Government will do everything necessary to
ensure that the culprits are apprehended and brought to book while we take care
of the medical bills of the injured persons.
“I
want to reassure all citizens of the State of the unwavering commitment of
Government to ensuring the security in every corner of the state. We will
continue to take necessary and adequate measures to protect the lives and
property of our people and ensure that anyone or group of people found to be
engaging in acts that threaten peace and security in the state, will be made to
face the full wrath of the law.”
Enugu
State Police Commissioner Emmanuel Ojukwu sympathised with family of the
victims and the community.
A
statement by police spokesman Ebere Amaraizu said: “Security made up of
personnel of riot policemen, Counter Terrorism Unit as well as operatives of
the Homicide Section of the State Criminal and Investigation Department,
Enugu have been deployed to the area to ward off any breakdown of
law and order.”
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Society