South East CAN Decries Attacks Of Fulani Herdsmen

The South-east chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) on Sunday in Enugu condemned in strong terms the activities of Fulani herdsmen which have culminated in incessant attacks on many Nigerian communities leading to wanton destructions of lives and property.

In a resolution after its meeting in Enugu, the Christian body said it was high time the government took decisive action towards curtailing the scourge of the Fulani herdsmen.

It expressed dismay that most communities in the five states of the south-east now live in fear as the herdsmen attack people in their farms and in some cases rape and maim their victims.

Referring to the recent killing of hundreds of villagers in Agatu, Benue State, the South-East CAN expressed shock that the herdsmen were murderously attacking communities with AK47 rifles while security agencies looked the other way.

President of CAN in the zone, Most Rev. Prof. David Eberechukwu, and the National chairman, Christian Enlightenment and Welfare Organization, CEWO, Dr. Ajujungwa Joseph, who signed the resolution, said the question on the lips of Nigerians had remained “Where do herdsmen get AK47 guns they carry and does it mean that both the police and the Army are not seeing them?”

According to CAN, “It has been a great burden on the church in the East with regards to the attack by Fulani herdsmen on every part of the six geo-political zones in the country, with much emphasis on the southern Nigeria and the North central zones.

“The attacks of the Fulani herdsmen on the innocent citizens of this country have become a nightmare on their host communities. The incessant rapes and murder of peace loving Nigerians is highly condemnable.”

The group equally said it would vehemently resist any attempt to allocate grazing reserves for the herdsmen, stressing that “we condemn the idea of grazing fields and ask the sponsors of such bill to desist from it. This is clearly importation of terrorists into the nation and peace will elude the entire country.”

While urging the National Assembly never to pass such bill, the Christian body equally called on the Federal government “to come to the aid of the terrorized communities, where the herdsmen have created more problems than the Boko Haram.

Details later

-Thisdaylive