National
President of IWA, Chief (Mrs) Marie Nwanyiwunwa Okwo has stated that
Igbo women will not allow any grazing routes for Fulani herdmen in the
South East.
One of the Enugu farmers attacked by armed Fulani herdsmen
The Igbo Women Assembly, IWA, has refused the decision to grant
grazing lands or ranches for Fulani herdsmen in the South East
geopolitical zone, saying that doing so, would be a tacit approval to
the herdsmen to kill Igbo men as well as rape their wives and daughters.
This reaction was made public while reacting to the latest killing
of farmers at Nimbo in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State
Monday.
The women in a statement signed by the National President of IWA,
Chief (Mrs) Marie Nwanyiwunwa Okwo, wondered what gave the Fulani
herdsmen the audacity to kill innocent Nigerians across since President
Muhammadu Buhari assumed office about 10 months ago.
They also challenged the extra-judicial killing of members of the
Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, by security agents among others
issues facing the zone.
Okwo’s statement read in part, “Not long ago, 76 people from
Ugwuleshi in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, were arrested by
the Nigerian Army and taken to Umuahia, which is another area of
jurisdiction.
“Their offence was that they tried to defend their farm land
from being destroyed by the Fulani herdsmen. It was through the
intervention of the Governor of Enugu State that those poor farmers were
later released on bail.
“The extra-judicial killing of the Independent People of
Biafra, IPOB, members between November 2015 and February 2016, in Port
Harcourt, Aba and Onitsha is condemned by IWA.
“This unresolved, cold-blooded murder of Eastern youths,
coupled with the provocative brigandage of Fulani in recent times may
have probably emboldened the Director of State Services, DSS, to
publicly lay a charge of abduction and murder on the IPOB for effect.
“This accusation of killing and burying of five northerners (in
a shallow grave), if true, is wrong and IWA condemns it, and would want
the culprits brought to early justice.
"If, however, the accusation is false, then, it must be said as
succinctly as possible that the DSS has taken a very dangerous route
that will not only lay the foundation for eventual disintegration of
Nigeria but ensures that a needless bloodbath accompanies the mayhem.
The DSS intends to prop up mutual suspicion and spur ethnic hatred.
“Our message to the APC government is clear, short and precise.
The quest to intimidate, oppress and silence Eastern Nigeria will not
succeed. The dream of conquering our people through hatred and threat of
genocide will not work. We cannot be islamised. There is only one
sensible route open to Nigeria, which is to restructure the country now.
Intimidation will not work; neither will false accusations.
“This is a time bomb waiting to explode. IWA says NO to Grazing
Reserves or Ranches and grazing routes in Igbo land. Any attempt to
acquire, seize and (or) occupy our ancestral lands for Fulani herdsmen
to facilitate the killings of our people and raping of our women and
daughters will be highly resisted. FULANI
“On the night of April 24, 2016, while villagers were asleep,
Fulani herdsmen struck, killing several people, and setting churches and
cars ablaze. The DSS is yet to react to these heinous crimes.
“For how long must our people continue to suffer in the hands
of herdsmen? IWA calls on President Muhammadu Buhari and the security
agencies to treat the Fulani menace with the urgency it requires. We
cannot continue to tolerate these unprovoked attacks on our people. It
may lead to total, uncontrollable anarchy.”
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