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Raymond Ozoji, Awka
The Anambra State House of Assembly on Tuesday accused the federal government of backing and supporting the gruesome killings orchestrated by Fulani herdsmen across the country.
This was as a result of the motion moved by the majority leader of the House Hon Victor Jideofor Okoye representing Anambra-West state constituency who told the members that the activities of the herdsmen have become unbearable following the mindless massacre of farmers in Mmiata Anam Anambra-West few days ago where some of the farmers killed were beheaded by the dreaded cattle rearers.
Okoye said it was not enough deploying security personnel to the affected area but the federal government should be more proactive in quelling the inhuman activities of the killer herdsmen in the area stressing that it was time the herdsmen left Anambra state so that farmers would cease to die on account of incessant invasion by the killer herdsmen.
On the other hand, the lawmaker representing Ihiala 1 state constituency Barrister Chidi Livinus Udemadu in his contributions explained that it was very disheartening for the Fulani herdsmen to invade farmlands and slay innocent farmers at will without the government of the federation making any arrest.
Udemadu maintained that it was no longer news that the killer herdsmen have sponsors which according to him was the remote reason why the federal government was reluctant in taking decisive actions to arrest the situation. He equally queried the rationale behind the arrest armed security men make during lawful protest whereas Fulani herdsmen would walk majestically into people’s farms, destroy their crops and kill them maliciously without government barting an eyelid.
The lawmaker therefore suggested that youths in such areas should be empowered to defend themselves from the terror of the killer herdsmen in the event of an invasion. Although he said he was not suggesting that the youths should take laws into their hands, he noted that innocent citizens would not continue to die like animals.
Also, Hon. Ikechukwu Umeh of Aguata 1 state constituency opined that the herdsmen had the support of the federal government saying that the type of weapons the they carry was unimaginable. He equally observed that the herdsmen did not carry out their nefarious activities during the elections but chose to do so immediately after the elections, killing farmers in Mmiata Anam Anambra-West council area.
The lawmaker representing Ayamelum state constituency Hon. Uche Okafor said his constituency had been a victim of herdsmen attacks. He said what happened in Mmiata Anam of Anambra-West local government area was indeed a national loss because the killers were unrelenting and government seemed docile about the development.
Okafor therefore implored the state government to be more proactive in finding lasting solutions to the incessant massacre of farmers in Ayamelum, Anambra-East and Anambra-West constituencies to avoid reprisals.
The Speaker of the House, Barrister Rita Maduagwu, in ruling on the motion, said that the issue of herdsmen killings was not only in Anambra but also in Zamfara and some other states in the country. She pointed out that the federal and state governments should rise up to the situation and stop Fulani herdsmen from shedding innocent blood.
