The
Nigerian Senate yesterday raised an ad-hoc six-man panel to conduct a public
hearing next week on the killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
The
decision was taken after an emotional debate of Monday’s killings in
an Enugu community by the herdsmen.
The
committee is expected to proffer solutions to the herdsmen’s problems.
Members
of the committee are: Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (North East), Senator Shehu
Sani (North West), Senator Isiaka Adeleke (South West), Senator Mao Ohuabunwa
(South East), Senator Ben Bruce Murray (South South) and Senator Abdullahi
Adamu (North Central).
The
lawmakers also resolved to invite security chiefs to brief the Senate on the
movement of fleeing terrorists to ensure that measures are put in place to
forestall a spread of terrorism
hey
observed a minute silence in memory of those who were killed in the attacks in
Nimbo community in Enugu and urged the National Emergency Management Agency,
(NEMA) and other relevant agencies to urgently dispatch relief materials to
Nimbo community and other neighbouring communities to ameliorate the living
conditions of the victims of the attack who have become Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs).
The
Senate also urged security agencies to improve their intelligence gathering
capabilities and be proactive rather than reactive threats to internal
security.
The
resolutions and expression of anger followed a motion on “The gory massacre of
the people of Nimbo community in Uzo Uwani Local Government of Enugu State.”
Sponsored by Senator Chukwuka Utazi, (Enugu North).
Senator
Utazi in his lead debate noted that around 4am on Monday,
25th April 2016, Fulani cattle herdsmen in their numbers, armed with
sophisticated weapons, invaded Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani LGA, Enugu State
while the villagers were asleep.
He
listed Nimbo Ngwoko, Ugwuijoro, Kkwuru, Ebor, Enugu Nimbo, Umuome and
Ugwuachara as the place the herdsmen attacked.
He
lamented that the rampaging herdsmen, who entered the areas through the border
with Kogi State, unleashed unspeakable mayhem on the community, shooting,
hacking and slitting the throats of unsuspecting residents of the village and
touched buildings.
Uzazi
added that “following this orgy of killings by the herdsmen, about 38 people
were gruesomely murdered, over 100 persons sustained varying degrees of injury,
many fatally.”
The
lawmaker, who said there is ongoing intensive search to recover more bodies or
account for missing persons, noted that many domestic livestock were
slaughtered while countless number of houses and other property were razed.
He
said two churches – Christ Holy Church of Nigeria and Parish House of St. Mary
Catholic Church – in the community were torched.
Utazi
catalogued incidents of Fulani herdsmen attacks in parts of the country and
insisted that something should be done.
At
the end of the debate, 20 Senators, contributed expressing their frustration
over the handling of the issue.
Senator
Murray-Bruce (Bayelsa East) said: “They (herdsmen) are a deadly force; they
have turned Nigeria into a very dangerous country. They have been going around
killing, raping, maiming innocent people and destroying property. They have
killed more people in Nigeria on an annual basis than Boko Haram.
”My
problem right now is when regular people start retaliating. That day is here
and that day is now. The civil war was fought in a conventional passion, one
army facing another army, now you are going to have a guerilla warfare. It is
not a war anybody can win; it will cause a destruction of Nigeria.
As
far as I am concerned you need a license to own a gun. Nobody has a right to
own a gun without a gun certainly outside the theatre of war. ”
Senator
Godswill Akpabio said the Senate is playing politics by saying that the
herdsmen are not Nigerians.
Akpabio
wondered how non-Nigerians entered the country with sophisticated weapons to
kill, main and rape warning the country cannot survive a second civil war.
Senator
Gilbert Nnaji (Enugu East) said there should have been massive reprisal in
Enugu but for the prompt action of security agencies.
Senator
Nnaji said the Nimbo attacks should be taken as an eye opener for the
government to tackle the problem headlong.
He
also prayed the Senate to come up with stringent measures to tackle the issue
in the interest of the country.
Senate
Chief Whip Olusola Adeyeye said what is happening is grave and should be halted
immediately before it gets out of hand.
Adeyeye
lamented that “Nigeria has got to where we were before the Biafran war.”
He
noted that the idea of state police has become even more urgent than it was
before and should be considered.
Deputy
Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who presided, said, “We have said so much
regarding this very matter. We have to do this because to the ordinary people
of Nigeria, what they know is that we are all in government. There is no
difference between the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary. So, we are all
held responsible in issues such as these.
“I
believe it is important that while the Executive is also making efforts, as
parliamentarians, we must be seen to be doing something because the people see
all of us as being part of government. We must show some sensibility in matters
concerning our people.
There are too many men and women in Nigeria today who
are frustrated by economic realities and they will make themselves available
for any possible mishap that this will give rise to.
“I
believe that the earlier we nip this on the bud, the better for all of us. We
want a very peaceful country and we will need to work towards that.
And as
leaders, we must be held responsible if there is breakdown of law and order
because the primary purpose of government is the protection of lives and
properties of the ordinary people. We must be able to come up with immediate
approach to this problem, mid-term and long-term solutions so that people will
see that we are interested in their welfare.”
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