COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE IGBO IMPROVEMENT UNION (OGANIRU NDI-IGBO) ON THE GRUESOME ATTACK ON UKPABI-NIMBO IN UZO-UWANI LGA OF ENUGU STATE.

The Igbo Improvement Union (Oganiru Ndi-Igbo) a socio-political and cultural organization of Igbo speaking people in Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Rivers States of Nigeria yesterday met with Igwe John Ikemefuna Akor, Agaba Idu XXIV of Ukpabi-Nimbo Community in Uzo-Uwani LGA of Enugu State. Addressing the press after the closed door meeting the Union expressed shock and disbelief on the wanton destruction of lives and property in Ukpabi-Nimbo, the Union said it is scandalized that such ethnic cleansing and palpable act of brigandage could take place in a twenty first (21st) century Nigeria.

 

Igbo Improvement Union (Oganiru Ndi-Igbo) expresses serious concern over inability of the joint patrol team stationed at Uzo-Uwani LGA in arresting these criminals in spite of all reports to the law enforcement agencies about the impeding attack. The Union insists that the security agencies must explain to Ndi-Igbo why they negligently and callously refused to proactively secure the communities after receiving confirmed security information on the planned attack. The Union further calls on the Federal Government to without delay find out why the patrol team withdrew before the attack and re-appeared after the attack.

 

Igbo Improvement Union (Oganiru Ndi-Igbo) calls on the Nigerian Security Forces to urgently apprehend the Fulani herdsmen who invaded Ukpabi-Nimbo community and their collaborators within the security services. The Igbo Improvement Union further calls on the Federal Government to urgently investigate the allegations that the Fulani mercenaries who attached Ukpabi-Nimbo from Nassarawa State were the ones arrested in Abuja and paraded on media and mysteriously released by the same security agencies that arrested them.

Igbo Improvement Union (Oganiru Ndi-Igbo) further calls on the Enugu State Government to without further delay impose a dusk to dawn curfew on the herdsmen in Enugu State as they pose a grave threat to peace, law and order in Enugu State.

Igbo Improvement Union (Oganiru Ndi-Igbo) with all sense of responsibility advises the affected communities to rise up to the occasion and defend themselves by any means possible and further advises all communities in Igboland to quickly revoke all land grazing permits given to Fulani herdsmen.

 

Igbo Improvement Union (Oganiru Ndi-Igbo) reaffirms its earlier position taken at Umuahia, Abia State on April 23rd 2016, “That the entire Igboland should be excised from the proposed grazing reserve/ranch, noting that this latest invasion is a proof that the Fulani herdsmen are the greatest threat to the corporate existence, territorial integrity and structural indivisibility of the Nigerian State. The Union further admonishes the Buhari led Federal government of Nigeria for its inability to use security forces in apprehending Fulani herdsmen who unleash mayhem on communities all over the country and wonders why it is only Fulani herdsmen that are allowed to carry AK47 all over the place without police ever arresting any of them. The genocidal activities of the Fulani herdsmen are most injurious to the Nigerian state than the activities of secessionist organization. 

Finally the Igbo Improvement Union (Oganiru Ndi-Igbo) exhorts Ndi-Igbo to be vigilant and to defend their rights to life and property by any and every means possible. 

The communiqué was signed by;

Ugochukwu Agballah – President-General

Chief Edozie Njoku – Secretary-General

Hon. Emeka Maduagwu

Hon. Eugene Odo

Obele Chuka Obele

Dr. Borke Okwale

Mr. Eyinnaya Imo

Mr. Nnabuenyi Udoka

Barr. Vincent Cheyinne

Barr. Andy Faustinus

Mr. Ike Olu

Chief Cletus Obute

Innocent Igboekwe

Moses Eze