The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Friday, called for the setting up of a police formation at the crisis-prone Uzo-Uwani Local Government of Enugu State as a way to stem incessant attacks in the area by alleged herdsmen.
CLO’s Executive Director, Ibuchukwu Ezike, stated this while reacting to the resolution of the Nigerian Senate to facilitate the deployment of security operatives in the area.
NewsNGR reports that the first major attack and killings in Uzo Uwani occurred on April 25th, 2016 at Ukpabi village, Nimbo, when alleged Fulani herdsmen bearing Ak-47 arms invaded the village, killing 46 persons, destroying farmlands and crops and razing down people’s homes. The most recent one at Nimbo claimed at least four lives.
Ezike commended the Senate for promptly passing the resolutions sought by the senator representing Enugu North Senatorial District, Senator Okey Ezea, directing the Inspector General of Police, Chief of Army Staff and the Director General, Directorate of State Services (DSS) to fully investigate, arrest and prosecute all the criminal elements terrorizing various communities in the LGA.
Ezea had in a motion on Wednesday urged the Senate to urgently wade into the incessant killings in Uzo-Uwani.
Senator Ezea had prayed his colleagues to mandate the Senate committees on Legislative Compliance, Police Affairs and National Security and Intelligence to “ensure full and emergency compliance to find lasting solutions to the Uzo Uwani killings.”
He further asked the Senate to direct the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to urgently provide relief materials to the victims of the killings to cushion the effects of the unwarranted attacks at Nimbo, Adani and Igga communities.
The Adani-Igga crisis is said to be a communal clash between the two communities during which the Igwe of Adani was murdered and several others injured.
Ezike equally commended steps already taken to curtail the escalation of the crisis. According to him, “Our investigations indicate that both the Enugu State Police Command and the government of Enugu State have intervened to restore peace to the areas.”
The state’s Police Commissioner, Kanayo Uzuegbu, was said to have relocated to Uzo Uwani in order to ensure there was maximum return of peace to the warring communities while Governor Peter directed all the state security agencies to move down to the LG to complement the efforts of the police.
“The governor later arrived at the LG where he sympathized with the families of the victims, placed N10m for anyone that assisted in identifying the killers and ordered that those injured be taken to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, for treatment on the account of the state government.”
CLO thanked the Senate Compliance Committee for facilitating the movement of various security agencies to the troubled spots, and called on the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to commence moving relief materials to the area as ordered by the Nigerian Senate.
Quoting Ezike, “CLO commends the action of the Senate, Enugu State government, and Enugu State Police Command on the crisis so far and enjoins them not to relent until total success is achieved and peace returns to Uzo-Uwani.
“We recommend that a larger police formation be built in Uzo-Uwani LGA to bring lasting peace to the area.”