BY VICTOR NWEGEDE
Comrade Ben Nwovu.
The National President of Izzi Nnodo Youth Forum on Thursday at Abakalki disclosed that over 80 Izhi people in Benue State have been founded dead following the attacks by the suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Comrade Nwovu recalled on the wake of 30th May, 2021, that suspected Fulani herdsmen invaded, attacked and murdered Izhi people living in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State.
He said the briefing was pertinent owing to the rising cases of insecurity in Nigeria; stressing that the level of lives and property destroyed with those injured were unascertainable as the death tolls have continued to rise on daily basis.
The Youth President condemned in strongest terms the ugly acts ravaging insecurity in Izhi land and called the security agencies to speed up action by fishing out the perpetrators to face the full wrath of law.
"Obviously, the level of destruction of property, numbers of persons murdered and/or injured are unascertainable, especially as the number of the dead continues to be found in the bushes, and the injured keep trooping into hospitals especially in the Federal teaching hospital Abakalki.
"However, at the moment, over 80 persons: men, women and children have been murdered in cold blood by these brutal herdsmen," he said.
The Youth President condemned in strongest terms the ugly acts ravaging insecurity in Izhi land and called the security agencies to speed up action by fishing out the perpetrators to face the full wrath of law.
"I therefore, on behalf of Izzi Nnodo Youth Forum, condemn with heavy heart and in strongest terms these destardly, senseless and brutal acts of the suspected Fulani herders and hereby, call on the relevant security agencies to do the needful by bringing the perpetrators to book, particularly as we the peaceful Izzi clan cannot resort to insurrection," he added.
In related development, the Izzi Youth National President, said it was disheartening and completely worrisome as two brothers would resort to belligerency for nearly a non-just-cause in Ebonyi State.
He was speaking on the heels of the renewed crisis between Enyigba Community in Abakalki Local Government Area and Enyibuchiri in Ikwo Council Area of the state.
He explained that, Izhi and Ikwo people have a time immemorial lived as brothers, hence the inter-clan marriages and common engagement in social, cultural and economic activities.
While expressing dissatisfaction over the inferno, he described Izhi people as a peaceful loving clan in the state, and assured every Ikwo person living any part of Izhi clan a hitch-free.
"Izhi people are known for peace and we shall continue to be known for it. We cannot take laws into our hands especially now that government intervention is very glaring.
"I enjoin our brothers from Ikwo to embrace peace for every good reason, we need each other. We assure all Ikwo people living in any part of Izhi land to feel free with us as they are in safe hand," he said.
Nwovu while commending the Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi for meddling into the situation, frowned at what he described as a barbaric act by one Amb. Benjamin Emerike from Ikwo Noyo clan by politicising the killings of Izhi people and issuing ultimatum that the executive governor should release their stakeholders or Ikwo people would storm Abakalki for protest.
He commended the efforts of the State Deputy Governor, Chief Eric Kelechi Igwe and the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru in the peace process.
He extolled the two Council Chairmen whose communities in their areas are in dispute, Chief Emmanuel Nwangele of Abakalki Council, and his Ikwo counterpart, Hon Stephen Orogwu respectively, and other stakeholders from both clans; thanking Izhi Nnodo Youth especially those from Enyigba community for their proactive efforts in ensuring territorial Integrity.
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