The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth wing has issued a stern warning following the alleged summon of Uzo-Uwani local government chairman, Mr. Chijioke Ezugwu, by the Enugu State police command amid escalating herdsmen violence in the region.
The youth organization has threatened to mobilize Igbo youths for a "mother of all protests" if what they describe as harassment of the council chairman continues, according to a statement released by Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide.
Escalating Violence in Uzo-Uwani
Uzo-Uwani local government area has witnessed deadly attacks in recent weeks, with scores of residents reportedly killed by herdsmen. The violence prompted local authorities to strengthen internal security measures to protect residents.
However, according to reports, the council chairman was summoned alongside vigilante group members to the state police command headquarters. The Deputy Commissioner of Police allegedly interrogated Ezugwu "on the allegations of killing herdsmen" in what Ohanaeze describes as an attempt "to stop the council chairman from flushing out criminals and kidnappers who have been masquerading as herders to unleash terror on the people."
Ohanaeze's Condemnation
Nnabuike expressed outrage over the police's apparent inaction regarding the herdsmen attacks while being quick to summon the council chairman for his efforts to secure local communities.
"The police have not arrested the perpetrators, nor stopped the carnage," Nnabuike stated. "The only respite that came was through the vigilante groups who decided to protect their communities, only to the failure of the police to safeguard them."
He claimed the situation in Uzo-Uwani is "worse than Benue" but remains underreported, with daily incidents of abductions and unprovoked attacks. One particularly heinous case involved the murder of a 90-year-old man and his wife.
"Should this harassment continue, we will be left with no option than to mobilize the entire Igbo youths for a mother of all protests." - Mazi Okwu Nnabuike
Call for Transparency
The Ohanaeze youth wing has called on the Enugu State Police Command to "come clean on the allegations," warning that failure to do so could be perceived as "emboldening those killing, maiming, and sacking communities in Uzo-Uwani and other parts of Enugu State."
The group noted that the police's silence on the matter suggests that "indeed the council chairman was summoned for protecting his people," which they find unacceptable given the security challenges facing the area.
As tensions continue to rise in Enugu State, the situation highlights the complex interplay between local governance, security forces, and ethnic relations in Nigeria's southeastern region.
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