– Fulani herdsmen within the southeast have been given 3 days to leave the terrain
– The ultimatum was given by Igbo Youths
– The youths say herders are offshoots of Boko Haram, hence, cannot be allowed breeding space
Herdsmen in the southeast have till Monday, May 2 to vacate Igbo land or be forced out, says Igbo youths under the aegis of the Ohaneze Youth Council (OYC).
OYC has warned herdsmen to leave the southeast. Nimbo community
Vanguard reports that the warning followed the massacre of no fewer than 40 people of in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu by Fulani herdsmen last Monday, April 25
The warning was contained in a communique signed and released in Enugu by the National Vice President of the group, Mazi Obinna Achuonye and the Chairmen of OYC in seven Igbo-speaking states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Delta, Imo and Rivers.
It reads: “Herdsmen are off-shoots of Boko Haram and must not be allowed any breeding ground in Igbo land. Any herdsman who fails to quit South East by Monday will have himself to blame.
“Never again will Igbo youths fold their arms and watch our people being massacred by blood-sucking terrorists under the guise of herdsmen. Urgent times need drastic measure. We warn all violent Fulani herdsmen to vacate our farmland, our backyards, our territories and boundaries on or before Monday next week.
“Even though Ohanaeze Ndigbo will meet over the weekend to discuss this menace, Igbo youths will not wait until our people are massacred again before we take action.
“If after Monday and the herdsmen are still around, we will direct Igbo vigilante groups set up by OYC in all the 95 Local Government Areas in South East to force them out.”
OYC also alleged that its intelligent unit had uncovered plans by the Fulani herdsmen to attack Ebonyi state.
“We have uncovered plots that their next target is Ebonyi State. They are coming from Taraba State to attack Ebonyi. We want the Governor of Ebonyi State and all the security agents in the state to be at alert”, the group said.
OYC further disclosed that they are collaborating with Ijaw youths and Middle Belt youths on how to defend their people since the current administration had failed to do so.
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“Ijaw youths, and Middle Belt progressives are already waiting for the expiration of the deadline on Monday. Fulani herdsmen have pushed us to the wall, time to take action is now or never,” it warned.
It would be recalled that in February 2016, the Ovie of Idjere, Ethiope West Local Government Area, Delta state, HRM Erhiekevwe I, ordered all Fulani herdsmen operating in his domain to vacate within nine days or face the wrath of his people.
The order follow the statement by the Nigerian Army, 3 Battalion, Effurun, which stated that it would no longer tolerate any form of violence across the state, adding, “All culprits will henceforth be severely dealt with.” While the warning was handed down through its Commanding Officer, Lt Col Igwe Partrick, when he paid a courtesy call on the Ovie of Uvwie, HRM, Emmanuel Sideso, the Idjere monarch’s order to the herdsmen, yesterday, was sequel to recent killings, rape, and destruction of crops by the herdsmen across farm lands in the community.
The Idjere monarch said: “Farming is my people’s mainstay. The Hausas/Fulani people rearing cattle here have created too many problems, including killing of innocent people. They also defile our women and destroy their crops while grazing. They must leave in nine days or face the wrath of my people who I will unleash on them.”
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