“Go after the groups terrorizing innocent people all over the country” – Buhari Ordered

President Buhari gave an order, yesterday, in an address delivered on his behalf by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at the public presentation of a book, entitled “Who will Love My Country: Ideas for Building the Nigeria of our Dream”, written by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, in Abuja.

The President’s words: “Before making my remarks about the book, let me use this platform to condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the attack perpetrated on the Ukpabi Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State on Monday. I deeply sympathise with all those who lost dear ones, as well as those who lost their properties in the attack. President Buhari “I have directed the Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector-General of Police to secure all communities under attacks by herdsmen, and to go after all the groups terrorizing innocent people all over the country.

This government will not allow these attacks to continue,” he stated. Police corporal led attack, indigenes tell IGP The people of Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani Local Government yesterday told Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase, that policemen who were officially posted to protect them from the Fulani herdsmen disappeared shortly before the attackers arrived and killed over 20 people. Spokesperson of the community, Dr George Ajogwu, who made this known, told Arase that the Fulani attackers were led by a police corporal serving at Adani Police Station in the local government.

According to him, it was, however, the arrival of another police team from the Area Commander’s office that minimised the level of destruction as the new team challenged the attackers frontally. Ajogwu’s account of the incident was, however, disputed by the transition committee chairman of the local government, Cornell Onwubuya, who disrupted the speaker, leading to an uproar.

However, Ajogwu, who insisted that he must be allowed to speak as he was a member of the community, said: “What happened was that the policemen posted to the community left, despite the fact that we pleaded with them to stay till those who would relieve them arrived. But they did not listen to us. “Immediately they moved out that morning, the Fulani herdsmen struck. If the policemen had listened to us, the incident would have been nipped in the bud. It was only the Area Commander’s men from Nsukka that responded. “I am from this community; what happened affected us. The situation is unbelievable. We cannot say exactly the number of people that died but the death toll is above 20.

The Fulani herdsmen had been attacking us on regular basis. “Annually, we lose two or three people to the Fulani attackers. I am very happy that the IGP is here to witness what the Fulani herdsmen have done to us. On yearly basis, we bury people killed by Fulani herdsmen. “We do not go to the farms again. We have been crying to the police to help us. The Fulani herdsmen rape our wives in our farms. “Ralph Ojombo went to the farm when the corporal came with the same Alhaji that attacked our people earlier before now.

The corporal is serving at Adani Police Station. The youth were there when he came with the Fulani herdsmen and started shooting at the young boys. What saved most of them was that they ran away. Some of the youths asked him whether he was part of the Fulani herdsmen; he ordered them to shut up their dirty mouths.”