A witness at the ongoing investigation into the killing of people in Nimbo community, Uzouwani Council, Enugu State by suspected herdsmen, Mr Marcel Akor has blamed the incident on leaders of the community.
Testifying before the tribunal on Tuesday, Akor said that the insurgents succeeded due to the inability of their traditional ruler, Chief John Akor and members of his cabinet to rally the people against the invaders.
The witness, who was led in evidence by his counsel, Dr. Chike Eneh, said the hierarchy of the Nimbo Town Union led by Mr Mathias Ekere was also culpable.
“Our traditional ruler, Chief John Akor and town union president, Mr Matthias Ekere are not resident in our community.
“Almost all members of the cabinet as well as executive members of the town union don’t reside in our community.
“That is why none of them summoned members of the community to tell us of the impending invasion even when they had prior information about it
“Members of the community only heard of the imminent invasion as a rumour and that was why the invaders took us unawares.
“The herdsmen had killed five persons including one Charles Igwebuzue, Ozoemenam Eze which made us to drive them from our community.
“But in 2013, our traditional leaders including members of the town union went into negotiation to bring the herdsmen back to our community.”
“When they were negotiating with them nobody told us and we don’t know the agreements they reached with them to graze on our farmlands,” he said.
Akor said that few weeks to the attack, members of the community got information that the traditional leaders and executive members of the town union were negotiating for peace with the herdsmen.
“Our youths protested lack of inclusion in the said negotiation, but were arrested and detained at the Police Criminal Investigation Department in Enugu at the orders of our traditional ruler.
“Our people have constantly protested the harbouring and resettlement of the herdsmen,” he said.
Under cross examination, Akor said that he was the parallel president of Nimbo Town Union.
The traditional ruler of the community had in a testimony absolved himself of any blame in the incident, saying he neither negotiated nor collected any form of gratification from the herdsmen to allow them graze in the community.
It would be recalled that suspected herdsmen had on April 25 invaded Nimbo in Uzo Uwani local government area of the state killing 11 persons while scores were injured.
http://m.guardian.ng/news/witness-says-monarch-others-culpable-over-nimbo-killings/
by ROTMANLUV 2023-07-08, 17:34
