Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has condemned the attack on some communities in Ebonyi State, but a civil society group is not impressed with his response.
Umahi expressed sadness over the gruesome attack that erased at least 15 lives, maiming of others destruction of homes and properties, as well as looting.
However, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law described as ‘medicine-after-death’, the visit and ‘mourning’ by Governor Dave Umahi to the scenes of the Monday night attacks, killings and destruction of property against defenseless rural Christian dwellers in Nkalaha, Obegu, Amazu, Nkalagu and Umuhuali Communities in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Intersociety said that Umahi who visited the affected communities reportedly in mourning mood, is clearly shedding crocodile tears.
An angry Umahi had visited the communities and charged the security agencies to go after the perpetrators in order to bring them to justice.
His words: “I got very shocking news this afternoon about the attack on about four communities in the state.
“We feel so sad that this kind of thing should happen in Ebonyi.
“We feel so worried for our country Nigeria and we are short of words.
“We condemn this attack because it is capable of causing very serious killings, if allowed to continue this way.”
He appealed calm and advised the people not to seek vengeance, assuring that the criminals will be caught.
It is “a clear case of a Governor who conspiratorially and vicariously signed away personal, collective and territorial security and safety of his own people and put them in present and future dangers by having them handed over to jihadist entities, done in return for being in office as two term Governor of Ebonyi State,” it said in a statement.
It adds, “Under Governor Dave Umahi as Ebonyi Governor and Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum, the Southeast geopolitical zone and Igbo enclaves in neighboring Benue and Kogi States, and faith security of the homeland Igbo people have grown porously and become gravely at risk and endangered.
“The Igbo ethnic nationality, apart from their 1967-70 Civil War insecurity and other safe conditions, have never been so threatened and endangered. The present ‘Southeast Governors Forum’ involving Governor Dave Umahi as its chair and Governors of Anambra, Enugu, Imo and Abia States is the weakest in Nigeria and a threat to future security and safety of the Igbo.”
The group alleges that rather than governing and leaving leadership imprints in their respective States, the Governors of the Southeast are not nothing to write home, and also entered their names in the “negative book of posterity.”
In the statement by the trio of Emeka Umeagbalasi, Obianuju Igboeli, Chidimma Udegbunam and Samuel Kamanyaoku, the group alleges that by watching over the destructive invasion of the Southeast and invocation of religious war against the zone under the guise of ‘inter-regional cattle grazing’, the Southeast Governors chaired by Engineer Dave Umahi have also become what it termed conspiratorial “importers of radical Islamism” against their own people.
Intersociety said its research showed that prior to 2015, there was little or no number of Fulani cattle herders’ settlements in forests, bushes and farmlands in the South-eastern flank of the country “except in urban centers or their outskirts occupied by Hausa natives, later joined by some Fulanis, most of whom were sedentary Fulanis,” adding that “cattle herders then were involved in making seasonal ‘travel-and-return-trips’ southwards or in rainforest regions.”
However, the group claims that hundreds of settlements have sprung up in the forests, bushes and farmlands of the Southeast.
It claims that the five years old violent settlements, started in 2016, and were done with full approval of the present Southeast Governors led by Gov Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State.
Meanwhile , the South East Caucus of the Senate has charged the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu and heads of the nation’s security agencies to expeditiously fish out those responsible for the recent killing of natives in Ebonyi State communities, insisting it must not go unsolved and unpunished like others before it.
The Caucus spoke vide a statement by the Caucus Leader and former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, in Abuja on Wednesday, describing the act as unfeeling.
“This act is most unfeeling and gruesome; and we condemn it in totality. But more importantly, this must not go unpunished like others before it.
“It is imperative to warn that the Nigerian state is fast delegitimising itself by its failure to discharge the primary purpose of government, which is security and welfare of the people, as clearly prescribed in Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution.
“The widespread killings and all manner of violent crimes across the country have continued to worsen because the perpetrators walk away with their crimes, never arrested or brought to book.
“Therefore, this is particularly a call on the Inspector General of Police and the heads of security agencies to bring the perpetrators of the Ebonyi killing to book expeditiously. To do otherwise will amount to further loss of government’s exclusive power of coercion to non-state actors and brigands, leaving citizens and constituent parts of the country with no option than to further resort to self-help” they stated.
The Caucus also condoled with the Government and people of Ebonyi State on the sad development.
“We stand in sympathy and solidarity with the Government and people of Ebonyi State over this dastardly incident and will give every necessary support to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book”, the statement concluded.