The Senate yesterday called for the arrest and prosecution of the killers of the indigenous people of Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani local government area of Enugu State.
The Senate call is coming on the heels of a motion titled, “Need to Urge the Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Anny Staff to urgently curb the senseless killings and maiming of innocent indigenes of Nimbo, Adani and some other communities in Uzo-Umani area of Enugu State.
The motion was sponsored by Senators Okechukwu Ezea, Chukwu Chizoba Kelvin and Osita Ngwu from Enough State.
The Senate urged the Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Army Staff to urgently establish police and military presence in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, to put a permanent stop to the incessant killings.
Similarly, Senate also mandated the Senate Committees on Legislative Compliance, Police Affairs and National Security and Intelligence, to ensure compliance and proffer lasting solutions.
It further urged the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to the victims to cushion the effects of these unwarranted attacks.
Presenting the motion, Ezea drew the attention of the Red Chamber that on 7th April, 2024, five (5) Innocent farmers in Adani, a popular rice production community in Uzo- Uwani LGA, Enugu State, were callously murdered by some rampaging herdsmen who invaded the community in the wee hours of the morning to commit the dastardly act.
He also informed his colleagues that on Sunday, 28th April, 2024, at about 14:00hrs, another attack was carried out in the same LGA, where four innocent people in the farming village of Nimbo were gruesomely mowed down by herdsmen in an unprovoked attack that is reminiscent of the April 2016 Nimbo killings.
He said: Cognizant that in February 2016, Abbi community was the first to be hit by the same assailants where 2 people were gruesomely killed while 19 others were declared missing.
“Also cognizant also that there was a major massacre in Nimbo community in the early hours of April 25th 2016, which left over 46 people dead and 14 persons injured, with their houses and other properties completely razed down.
“Concerned that these killings don’t seem to be isolated as their persistence indicates a pattern, and worried further that even with the 2016 killings, the authorities both at the state and federal level have not taken robust steps to stop these killings.
“Alse concerned that if nothing very urgent and sustainable was done to put an end to this recurrent menace, people may begin to resort to self-help in order to ward off these criminal elements and this may eventually lead to a complete breakdown of law and order, especially given the already challenging security situation in the region.
“Further concerned that with the strategic location of Uzo-Uwani LGA as a net producer of food in the country, these killings may have a significant impact on the food security of the nation as more and more farmers are becoming afraid to go to farms for fear of being hacked by murderous herdsmen and in effect abandoning their communities and relocating to the urban areas, thereby exacerbating the rural-urban migration crises in the country in the country,” he said.
All the Senators who contributed to the motion, condemned the ugly narrative and unanimously supported all the prayers that were requested by the sponsors, and the motion was adopted without a dissenting voice.
