LAGOS NOVEMBER 6TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Fulani herdsmen has been accused of having killed no fewer than sixteen persons and kidnapped six people in between 2013 and 2014 in Ndokwa, Delta North Senatorial district of Delta State.
Report made available to Urhobotoday, a widely read online medium revealed that ten of the people were killed last year, six killed in 2014 and eleven kidnapped the same year.
A petition dated November 14th, 2014 made available to Urhobotoday by a group under the aegis of Movement for the Emancipation and Survival of Ndokwa Nation (MESONN), signed by Comrade Pedro Chibuzo Obi and Comrade Ossai Tony Osborg, President and Secretary-General of the group respectively alleged that sometimes last year, a group of herdsmen attacked Ogume community in Ndokwa land killing ten persons, adding that despite that the matter was reported to the appropriate government security agencies, up till date, nothing has been done to bring the perpetuator to book, neither has justice been accrued to the affected families.
The group further alleged in the petition in which Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, Delta State House of Assembly and Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command were copied that only recently another attack was launched against the same Ndokwa land, Umuachi Afore precisely by alleged Fulani herdsmen in which one person was killed with six other kidnapped in their bid to search for the missing Ak-47 gun the herdsmen claimed was snatched from one of them by the community youths during a clash with them.
The group who wondered what Fulani herdsmen should be doing with an AK-47 gun continued with their allegations, “But not done yet, the Fulam herdsmen invaded the community yet again on the early morning of 2nd November 2014, killing one youth and taking away the wife of Hon. London Onwuka, his daughter, two of his sons and the son of Chief Anthony Obodoeshike.
“Meanwhile, the police have taken into custody the father of the youth who was accused of snatching the Ak-47. Why would herdsmen have Ak-47 gun on our soil, intimidating us with it, and when we finally bring it to the notice of our security agencies, their activities, our security agencies end up protecting the interest of these intruders at the safety of our people.”
The group wondered that a year after the Delta State Government claimed to have banned the entry of herdsmen into the State, the movement of herdsmen in Ndokwa land is still yet unrestrained and still remain a continuous threat to the peaceful coexistence of the people, adding that up till date, neither a full security report has been made of the Ogume killing incident, nor has justice been brought to the people.
Thus, after an emergency meeting of all community youth leaders in Ndokwa Nation, the group finally resolved that, “The Ndokwa people will no longer tolerate the movement of herdsmen on Ndokwa land henceforth. In other words, we are calling for the immediate stoppage of cattle grazing on Ndokwa Nation. We demand the report of the committee on the Ogume killing of 2013 to be made public and compensation be made to the families of the aggrieved.
“We demand the immediate arrest of the killers of Afor one and other reported cases in Ndokwa land. We demand to know, which part of Nigerian law guarantees Fulani herdsmen freedom to carry assorted riffle (AK-47) and forbids same to an Ndokwa man even ordinary hunters gun.
“Considering the security situation in the North-East, these intruders may be on a suicide mission in our soil, as they have clearly demonstrated by killing and burning of our houses, most recently at Afor. As a peace loving people, we are at this notice, giving the government a twenty-one day ultimatum to resolve the above issues. Failure of the government to guarantee justice, safety and unity of our people will in turn lead us into outsourcing for this by whatever means necessary.
“As a law abiding people, we believe this letter is in line with the principle of fairness, appropriateness, respect for the sovereignty of the government and the major attempt towards resolving the issues of Fulani herdsmen movement on our land. This is the last letter we shall write on the issue of herdsmen movement on our land. We shall resist every form of oppression, attack, misdemeanor, kidnappings and killings by herdsmen or any other group in Ndokwa.
“Where the government fails to carry out it’s obligation of maintaining law and order, we shall, as a united Nation, maintain law and order, as we have always done prior to the emergence of the Nigerian State; taking into account the Obi of Aboh and Landers brother and many other unrecorded cases. We wish to repeat for the purpose of clarity, that we demand that entire issues raised above be addressed as soon as possible.”