What’s Happening In Isi-Uzo?
The situation in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State is tensed and people are perpetuating different narratives to explain what’s happening in the area.
Our correspondent who visited the area gathered that the situation is as a result of an age-long faceoff between the locals and herdsmen that have lived in the area for a very long time.
“We have been living with the herdsmen for a very long time until a recent time,” an indigene of Ikpakpara, Aguamede Emeka Onah said.
Continuing, he said “But few years, some of our people decided that they don’t want to cohabit with the Herders anymore. Some of them have lived with us for many decades. During that process one of them was killed because they refused going out. Since after that time we have been having fracas with them that attack from nearby Benue State and retire to same place afterwards.
Asked what could be responsible for the recent attacks in the area which has sent a lot of people out of their ancestral homes, Mr. Onah said “this can best be described as a reprisal because like you know, Fulanis doesn’t forgive nor forget. Our people haven’t done anything against them in recent time. They have killed a lot of our people and many people have left their homes.”
In a recent development, a trailer conveying goods was set ablaze and the occupants Feared dead on Wednesday at Umuhu bridge in Eha-Amufu Community by persons suspected to be mercenaries whose identity can’t be verified as at the time of this report.
The reports on social media alleged that the occupants are herdsmen carrying various ammunitions which were concealed in bags of beans.
However, a witness who was at the scene of the incident told JOURNALIST101 that the claim on social media isn’t true as he didn’t see a single arm in the burnt trailer. Even in the graphic videos that were making the rounds on social media, nobody could show anything to support the claim in the video.
A security source who doesn’t want his name in print told our correspondent that if both parties doesn’t heed to voice of reason and allow the government to seek for a lasting solution, the carnage might escalate and there’s little or nothing the detachment of security operatives will do even though more men have been moved to the area.
“What’s happening in Isi-Uzo calls for caution and it will get worse if both parties (the villagers and the herdsmen) fail to give peace a chance. What we’re seeing is a reprisal attacks from both ends and these things happen in a gorilla way, thus there’s little or nothing our men on ground can do. Isi-Uzo is such a large place and it’s nearly impossible to deploy men to every corner of area,” the security source said.
JOURNALIST101 recalls that Enugu State governor, Rt. Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, CON on 28th November, visited Mgbuji, one of the villages affected by the crisis where he reiterated the commitment of his administration in ensuring the well-being of the people.
The Governor during the visit, made cash donations to the victims among other interventions.
