"Defend Yourselves Against The Fulani Herdsmen", CAN To Ndigbo

            

CHRISTIAN Association of Nigeria (CAN) officials have called on their
members to start practising self-defence in response to the ongoing
menace of Fulani herdsmen attacks following the recent massacre in
Enugu State.

Over recent months, the growing menace of Fulani herdsmen clashing
with local communities over grazing rights has escalated
frighteningly, often with bloody consequences. Things escalated
dramatically on Monday this week when cattle rearers attacked the
Ukpabi Nimbo community in Enugu State killing about 48 people.

Sending shockwaves across the country, the incident resulted in the
widespread destruction of property and Apostle Joseph Ajujungwa, the
secretary of the Enugu State chapter of Can said the matter can no
longer be considered lightly. While expressing shock those security
operatives could not nip the attack in the bud despite having prior
information, Apostle Ajujungwa called on southeast communities to
rise up and defend themselves.

Apostle Ajujungwa said: “We are shocked and saddened over the level
or carnage perpetrated by these Fulani herdsmen in Nimbo
community. More painful is the fact that security agencies had ample
time and opportunity but they looked the other way and in view of
this, I am calling on the people of Enugu State and other southeast
states to rise up and defend themselves because security operatives
have failed.

"It would be wrong for our people to fold their hands and watch
helplessly while our women are being raped, our men are being killed
and our ancestral land is being taken away. In honour of those whose
lives were snuffed away by these herdsmen, Can declares one-day of
mourning and within this period, we ask our people to pray fervently
and ask God to take control."

Meanwhile, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), has said terrorists and not
Fulani herdsmen are killing people in remote communities across the
country. IYC spokesman Eric Omare, condemned the slaughtering of
innocent Nigerians in the Middle Belt, southwest and recently, in
Enugu State.

He described the herdsmen’s actions as barbaric and noted that
traditional Fulani herdsmen had conducted their business peacefully
for decades without killing their neighbours. According to the IYC, the
alleged sponsored attacks could be a plot by disgruntled persons to
pit one ethnic group against the other to destabilise the country.
Mr Omare added: “We believe that the attacks are carried out by
terrorists, who disguise as Fulani herdsmen. The traditional Fulani
herdsmen have been grazing their cattle for decades in different parts
of the country without such attacks, until recently when the attacks
became persistent.

“The IYC believes that the attacks by the Fulani herdsmen are part of
a deliberate terrorist and religious agenda to wipe out some
communities in the Middle Belt and southern part of the country. We
call on communities in Niger Delta, especially the Ijaw communities,
to be vigilant and watch out for these terrorists disguising as Fulani
herdsmen."

He called on community and youth leaders in different Niger Delta
communities to set up structures to prevent such attacks and bring
such activities to the knowledge of security agencies. According to Mr
Omare, the IYC has already called for clan and community structures
all over Ijawland to set up a special task force to monitor and report
activities of these murderers masquerading as Fulani herdsmen...Source Nigerian Watch