Nigerian Army Arrests Igbo Youths In Enugu Communities For Attacking Fulani Herdsmen

Soldiers of the Nigerian Army have invaded and arrested Igbo youths in two communities in the Nkanu East and Nkanu West local government areas of Enugu State for allegedly attacking and sending away Fulani herdsmen and their cows away from the areas.  According to our reliable source, it was gathered that there is uneasy calm in the Ekpoffo and Akpugo areas in Nkanu East and Nkanu West Local Government Areas of the state where the military personnel arrested the Igbo youths and are still hunting for more arrests.

Villagers who spoke from their hiding on Thursday lamented that they could not find some of their relations and wards who were believed to have been abducted by the military personnel.

They feared that the continuous arrest might be due to the recent sacking and sending away of Fulani herdsmen who have been terrorizing the area for long.

Some also believed that the invasion could be the directive of the Presidency to security agencies to hunt down Biafran agitators in the South-East region. Community sources said the soldiers invaded Ekpoffo on Wednesday and went away with some youths to an unknown destination.

A source stated saying; “Soldiers numbering over 100 stormed Ekpoffo community in Nkanu East local government area of Enugu state around 7.30pm on Wednesday night. They moved from place to place, ransacking houses. Before then, they had blocked major roads leading to the community before swooping on the residents.

“I don’t know how many people were abducted on Wednesday. They were looking for our youths, but many of them have run away,” an eye witness stated.

The source also noted that the soldiers returned on Thursday with policemen and personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) and blocked all access roads leading to the community.

Another community source said the soldiers also invaded Ndiagu- Akpugo community and razed down some houses.

According to his words; “They went to the house belonging to a man popularly known as Bebia at Ugwu-agba in Ndiagu-Akpugo. They didn’t see anyone, so the soldiers set the house ablaze.

“As I am speaking to you, our young men have run away and some members of the community are relocating to the state capital for fear for their lives,” he added.

The traditional ruler of Adamagu Akpawfu community, Igwe Christopher Nnamani, who resides in the Enugu metropolis, said he received several phone calls from his subjects informing him of the invasion.

According to his words; “I am on my way to my palace; come there so I can see who I am speaking with. I won’t like to speak with someone I have not seen on the telephone,” he said.

The Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Enugu, Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, declined comment when contacted on the incident. He also did not respond to text messages as of the time of filing this report.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, when contacted on the telephone also declined comment. He later switched off his phone. Since the arrest and detention of Nnamdi Kanu, some Nigerian soldiers have been committing serious atrocities on innocent Igbo youths in several remote villages in the south eastern part of Nigeria.

It was recently reported that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was arrested in Kenya and was repatriated back to Nigeria. On the other hand, it was also reported that the DSS yesterday invaded the house of Sunday Igboho, a well known Yoruba nation activist, and he has been declared wanted by the federal government.

Based on that note, a well known human rights activist, Adeyanju Deji has decided to speak. According to a post he made on his verified Facebook page, he made it known that the Fulani killer herdsmen have killed almost 20,000 Nigerians under Buhari, yet Buhari’s led government has not arrested one of them or put one on trial.

He went on and made it known that as it stands now, Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu are now the problem of the federal government instead of Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen that has committed so many atrocities in Nigeria.

These Fulani herdsmen have killed thousands of innocent Nigerians, yet they are still moving around freely without being arrested by the security agencies. Things must be done properly in Nigeria so that we can move forward as a country.