Houses of Assemblies in the southeast zone have been urged to, as a matter of urgency, enact laws that will put an end to herdsmen menace in the region.
President-General of Ohaneze Youths Council Worldwide, Okechukeu Isiguzoro made the call in a statement in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state capital.
He said this will help to stop the alleged killings and other violent acts being carried out in the zone by the Fulani herders in the area.
He also called for the establishment of state vigilante groups in all parts of the zone to protect it from further cattle herders’ attack.
The President further urged communities in the zone to be vigilante at all times to be able to resist a further attack on them by the herdsmen.
He said: “We have not forgotten the Continuous Rape of Women (their farms) in Igbagu in Izzi and Isu in Onicha LGAs in Ebonyi, the continuous invasion and killings by the cattle herders In Uzo- Uwani and Nsukka environs in Enugu, the recent atrocities in Aba, where herdsmen chopped off a lady’s hand in Abia, and other detailed nefarious activities of Herdsmen in Anambra and Imo States respectively.
“We will not fold our arms and allow evil to thrive by these notorious herdsmen. Never again should we allow them to strike unchallenged.
“We will not take laws into our hands to fight back, but rather as a matter of urgency, we call for the Establishment of State vigilant groups or the return of the dreaded famous “Bakassi Boys” with special mandate to engage the armed herdsmen.
“We call on the incoming leadership of State House of Assemblies in Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states and existing leadership in Anambra to proceed without delay to enact laws to establish local vigilante groups with special mandate to protect our boundaries and fish out armed herdsmen from peaceful cattle rearers, who operate in unholy hours of day.”
He added: “We are amazed that over the years that these armed herdsmen had created routes in our bushes and forests where they either have temporary settlement or hideouts as a base for them to prepare to launch attack to their target local communities.
“We call on our town Unions and Community based groups to be vigilant about the purported rumour of attack by armed herdsmen, never allow them to take us unawares and unprepared, for any blood of any Igbo man killed by these herdsmen will not be tolerated and will be resisted”.
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