Stakeholders and indigenes of Enugu State have implored President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the spate of killings in Ehi-Amufu communities in Enugu State by suspected herdsmen and bandits in the last one year.
The indigenes under the aegis of Enugu Good Governance Group condemned what they described as mindless attacks which have claimed over 150 people in the last one year.
The group’s coordinator, Odinaka Okechukwu, at a press conference in Abuja, lamented that the attacks had displaced many communities, compelling the residents to seek refuge in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs’) camps in neighbouring communities, resulting in a serious humanitarian crisis.
The stakeholders urged the inspector-general of police (IGP), Alkali Baba and other security chiefs in the country to restore normalcy in the troubled community.
The group also condemned attempts in some quarters to politicise the killings which it said began long before the current administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
It however commended efforts by the state government to end the conflict in the warring zone, just as it expressed concern about the constitutional limitation of a state governor to exercise the level of security powers required to end insecurity and restore peace in the community.
They called on President Buhari to exercise his powers and stop the attacks by bringing an end to the bloodletting in Ehi-Amufu communities in Enugu State.
Okechukwu said, “We note with dismay and condemn the politicization of the Eha-Amufu crisis and twisting of the facts by one Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi and one Ken Asogwa during their sponsored television appearances where they blamed the Enugu State Governor for not taking action to address the crisis in Eha-Amufu.
“We also view as a calculated propaganda aimed at deceiving and misinforming the public to say that the Eha-Amufu was thrown into crisis because Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, who is an indigene of Mgbuji, Eha-Amufu is contesting for governorship on the platform of the Labour Party.
“We are not alone in the condemnation of this act and reckless utterances. The stakeholders from the seven autonomous communities of Eha-Amufu in a meeting held on 27th December 2022 at Eha-Amufu condemned and disclaimed the actions of Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi and his cohorts, stressing that they were misinforming the public.
“Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi, is not only resident in Abuja, hardly on ground to be properly abreast of developments at home. For instance, while he claims that Eha-Amufu is made up of nine autonomous communities, Eha-Amufu is actually made up of seven autonomous communities, namely Mgbuji, Abor Ishiala, Umuhu, Amede, Ihenyi, Aguamede, and Isu.
“Also, contrary to the misinformation by Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi and his cohorts that the Eha-Amufu killings started in 2020, the crisis has actually lasted for so many years and equally predates the Governor Ugwuanyi administration by many years. Again, whereas he claimed that the recent killings started on 8th December 2022, the killings started well before then and sadly heightened on 7th December 2022.”
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