From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
In a bid to avert another replica of what happened in Ishielu, Ebonyi State and some parts of Enugu Sate recently where scores of the indigenes from the Igbo communities were massacred, youths under the aegis of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has advised the youths in Igbo land to commence safeguarding their own communities against another attack.
President General of COSEYL, Goodluck Ibem in a statement yesterday while condemning the attack has also called on Governor, Dave Umahi of Ebonyi and his counterpart from Enugu State Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to arrest the situation.
Ibem said “We call on Governor Dave Umahi and Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who are the Chief security officers of the affected states to immediately move into action and arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act.
“We warn all armed Fulani herdsmen to immediately vacate the South East zone. It is now very clear to all that they are not herdsmen which they claim to be, but killers and land grabbers on a hidden mission to grab and overrun Igbo-land and convert it to Fulani territory.
“We also condemn in totality what now looks like deliberate silence of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, the Chief Of Army Staff, and other Security Chiefs who have kept silence over the wanton killings by Fulani herdsmen in the South East.
“Up till now, nothing meaningful have been done over the assassination attempt on the governor of Benue state, Governor Ortom. The whole scenario is a calculated plan to overrun the South and Christian communities in the country.
“The Security Chiefs have never arrested any herdsmen for any killings but only go after armless protesters from the southern part of the country while allowing arm carrying Fulani herdsmen to have a free day killing people at will and working away with it.
“This country is owned by us all and nobody owns this country more than the other. The South East belongs to Ndigbo and we demand that the Fulani herdsmen leave our territories immediately.
We call on all the youths in Igbo communities to immediately secure their villages and forests with their local vigilante so that their community will not be overran by Fulani herdsmen who from all indications have the backing of unseen forces to do so.
“We call on Governor Dave Umahi and Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to immediately correct their mistake of providing free settlements in the forest for terrorists parading as herdsmen in their states .
“Ndigbo wherever the live pay for their accommodations and stay there in peace. They don’t stay in the forest or bushes. It is only criminals and people of questionable character that stay in the forest that doesn’t belongs to them.
“Ndigbo have never gone to any state government to demand for free settlements neither have they attack the host Communities or towns were they are doing business. We are peaceful and it should not be taken for weakness.
“We call on Governor Umahi to learn from was happened to Afonja the Oba of ilorin in 1824 . Afonja received the Sheu Alimi also known as Salih Janta with open arms in ilorin.
“Abdulsalam the son of Sheu Alimi turned around to kill Afonja and made himself the Emir of ilorin. Indeed life is too short to learn from our mistakes, its better we learn from the mistake of others.
“It is not a mere coincidence for Fulani militia to attack Ebonyi and Enugu states killing over 30 persons the same time President Buhari traveled out of the country.” Ibem claimed.
