The International President of the youth department at the Christ Holy Church International has raised alarm over threat to his life by some unknown persons.
According to the youth leader who was identified as Dr Smatt C. Aguba, said the threat messages and calls started pouring in after his church was burnt down by some unknown persons and his resolve to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to book.
He said that the unknown callers promised to “deal with him” for allegedly being against settlers in his community and aiding the arrest of some of the perpetrators, noting that, he had no hiding place in the country.
He called on security agencies to assist in unearthing these unknown persons who had been threatening his life and work and ensured an end to wanton killings of innocent lives in his community, Nimbo and the country in general.
Narrating what led to the constant threat to his lives by the unknown gunmen, Dr Aguba said: “My Church was burnt down by the assailants who swoop on the church believing that I was there.
Luckily, I escaped before they arrived. As the International President of the Youths of the Church, whose local church was burnt for no reason, I resolved to advocate for justice on the perpetrators against my church and my community, which claimed many lives including my brother Mr. Sylvanus Eze “
No fewer than 40 persons have so far been reportedly killed by unknown gunmen and some Fulani herdsmen at Nimbo in Uzo- Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, it was learnt at Nsukka Police Area Command, recently.
Witnesses told sunnewsonline.com that the incident took place barely 24 hours after stories filtered out that no fewer than 500 heavily-armed Fulani herdsmen sneaked into the community preparatory to launch an attack.
Seven villages in Nimbo (Nimbo Ngwoko, Ugwuijoro, Ekwuru, Ebor, Enugu Nimbo, Umuome and Ugwuachara) were among the areas attacked.
Ten residential houses and a church, Christ Holy Church International, aka Odozi Obodo, were also said to have been burnt, just as vehicles and motorcycles were destroed and domestic animals killed. A young man, whose name was yet to be ascertained, was burnt inside a commuter bus belonging to one Ejima, son of a prominent man popularly called ‘Are you there’ near the Christ Holy Church, Nimbo.
A victim’s story Kingsley Ezugwu, former Councillor, Nimbo Ward 2, was one of the victims of the attack. Speaking from his hospital bed in Nsukka, Ezugwu said: “I was coming out from the house when I heard the community bell ringing. I was going with a friend to know what the bell was all about, only to see about 40 men armed with sophisticated guns and machetes. “They pursued us, killed my friend and shot at me several times but missed. They caught up with me and used machetes on me until I lost consciousness. He said he crawled until a good Samaritan helped him to the hospital. Dead bodies litter hospitals”
So far, six dead bodies have been recovered and deposited at Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka, while others, who sustained injuries were rushed to Royal Cross Hospital and Enugu State District Hospital , Nsukka. Villagers and other residents of the area fled the town.
In its reaction to the development, the South-east Governors Forum said what happened at Nimbo is like any other national issue that deserves the understanding and cooperation of all Nigerians of goodwill to tackle. Fmr Governor Rochas Okorocha, Chairman of the Forum, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “It is a national issue that also requires national approach to resolve. “Our problem in this country is that whatever happens is given an ethnic colouration and that makes the solution to such problem somewhat difficult.”
‘It’s failure of governance’— the Secretary General of Ohanaeze, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, ‘the continuous killing of people across the country by unknown gunmen and herdsmen without any response from the Federal Government is a failure of governance’. He said: “We are very sad and very disappointed that all over the country, not just the South-east, these killings have continued unabated and nothing concrete is being done by the Federal Government.”
