Less than 24 hours after the Prelate of the Methodist Church in Nigeria narrated his grueling experience in the hands of herdsmen-kidnappers, who tortured him and two others with him and collected a N100million ransom, youths of the surrounding communities of the axes where he was kidnapped have staged a huge protest calling for the ejection of the cattle market operated by Fulani herdsmen there.
The heavy protest Wednesday morning, according to Ikenga Online newspaper, erupted in Isuochi communities in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, as youths took to the streets to protest incessant kidnappings by suspected herdsmen in the area.
The irate youths who thronged out in their numbers stormed the Umunneochi Council headquarters at Nkwoagu Isuochi where they conveyed their grievances to the Council Chairman.
This is coming less than 24 hours after the Methodist Prelate, His Eminence Samuel Uche abducted Sunday afternoon around Isuochi was freed after N100 million ransom was paid.
The protesting youths accused security agencies of doing nothing to stop the perpetrators suspected to be herders but standing on the road to extort money from innocent motorists while criminals operate unchallenged.
At a press conference held at Methodist church Yaba, Lagos State the prelate gave sordid details of his plight and others with him which tallied with some of the accusations the protesting youths made about the Fulani herders and security agents.
His words: “These people came out from the bush, they divided themselves into three places; some people fired at us and there was another group in front to make sure that we didn’t run away; they fired shots at our vehicle and eventually, they abducted three of us.
“The Communication man of the church was able to escape, the driver was able to escape; they abducted me, the Bishop of Owerri and my chaplain and they took us to the bush and were torturing us. It was in the process of that torture that I hit my right eye on a tree. Even when blood was flowing and I was soaking my eyes with a handkerchief, they didn’t feel like anything happened.
“All they said was that we should follow them; that they were not actually against Nigerian citizens but against the government, that the government is a bad government.
“They are Fulani boys; all the eight are Fulani; they said the day they will see the president or any of his representatives they will chew him raw; that he is their brother but he has disappointed them and has disappointed Nigeria.
”I said even though I am part of government, I’m a church man, I’m not a government official; they said okay, that is what has saved you, we would have killed you out-rightly without asking for any ransom but now that you are a church man, lets go inside the bush.
“I trekked up to 15 kilometers but I knew that we were rigmaroling, going up going down and eventually at 11pm they said okay now we can negotiate; each of us will pay N50 million and we are going to pay N150million. I thought it was a joke; I said we were going to pay N10 million and they said what? Don’t say that; they lifted up their knife to cut me, I said please hold on.”
He put the age of his attackers at between 18 and 35 adding that after taking
his rings, chain, they insisted on the N150 million ransom.
“I said okay. We will pay you N100 million. After some time, they said where is the money and I said this is Sunday night how can we get money this night and you know that there is this sit at home in Igbo land. We can’t afford the money now be patient till morning, we will make contacts.”
“I told them we will raise the money for you. But the irony of it, where they were situated, the soldiers all of Fulani extraction, Nigerian soldiers, they were there at Lomara junction and these boys were going behind them. Meanwhile they kept their cows somewhere, numbering about 200.
“They said when are you bringing the money? I said by 12 noon, I will call the people I’ve contacted whether the money had been raised and I called them, they said that they are gathering the money and they heard it because they said I will use my phone to talk, they can’t use their phone, they don’t want to be tracked
“Their leader was born in Igbo land but his parents have died. He said he was born around Umuahia Amuzukwu and his father was a cow dealer, the boy understood Igbo….
“Around 5;30pm, the youngest boy who I think is a younger brother to their commander said oga congratulations you are free you can go now. We have got our money, you can go. Let me show you the road.
“They took us to old road, where they wrote ‘Welcome to Imo’ and ‘Goodbye from Abia’.
“They told us that after buying enough weapons, they are going to bring all those people that were driven away from Zamfara, Katsina, Sambisa forest that they are all coming to locate themselves in igbo land and deal with us.
“He said, do you know Ibadan expressway? We are in all the bush there, we are also in the South-South, we are waiting for the slightest signal we will finish you people and take over this land. They claimed that Nigeria belongs to Fulani.”
Protesting on Wednesday and many decked in black attires and chanting war songs the embittered youths of the area decried the menacing activities and atrocities of herdsmen in the area.
They carried placards with various inscriptions such as: “Enough is enough,” “Garki cattle market must go,” “Army should open Ihube/Isuochi Road,” among others.
Conveying the grievances of the protesters at the Council headquarters, Comrade Divine Uche, said that youths of Umunneochi would no longer tolerate continued harassment, torture, and Kidnappings for ransom by herdsmen in the area.
The youths accused security agents especially the Army of shielding the perpetrators instead of going after them.
They demanded immediate relocation of Lokpanta regional cattle market where they alleged, provides cover for the criminals.
The youths also demanded that the military checkpoint at Lomara junction be removed and the barricade by the soldiers blocking the Ihube/Isuochi road cleared without delay so that motorists will be plying the route again.
According to them, the presence of the military checkpoint at the area is rather providing cover for kidnappers, hence the call for its relocation.
The youths vowed that if after seven days their demands were not met, they might be forced to take laws into their hands to protect their people against criminal herders on the prowl in the area.
Adding her voice, Mrs Chetachi Obi-Nwoke, said that the locals now live in fear of herdsmen who have been terrorising the people.
She challenged security agencies to rise to the occasion to avoid angry youths taking law into their hands.
Responding, Chief of Staff to the Council Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Azubuike, who said his boss had gone to Umuahia for a security meeting with the Governor, thanked the youths for their peaceful comportment and promised to convey their grievances to the Chairman.
He noted with concern, the atrocities of herdsmen in the area and the docility of security agencies.
He expressed sadness that the efforts of the Council to open up the Ihube/Isuochi Road was being frustrated by the soldiers at Lomara military checkpoint who insist that the Council must first complete a perimeter fencing of their post there.
According to him the Council has done over 80% of the work but regretted that the soldiers have continued to frustrate efforts to complete the project.
He alleged that cement bought by the Council for the work was even destroyed by rain due to the unfriendly attitude of the soldiers.
The Chief of Staff said that the Council was already overwhelmed by the security challenges in the area and appealed to both the State and Federal Government to come to their rescue.
Efforts to extract reaction from the Army did not succeed as the Army Spokesman at the 14 Brigade Ohafia, Lt. I. Omale, said he was in a conference when contacted.
As at the time of filing this report, he was yet to revert to our Correspondent.
Kidnapping for ransom has become almost a routine around Abia North especially Uturu-Okigwe-Umunneochi axes, which many blame on the presence of the cattle market in the area.
Officials of the market have, however, denied that criminals are harboured in the market.
▪︎ Additional reports by Ikenga Online