Imo residents raise alarm over killings by suspected herders

Concerned citizens of Imo have raised alarm over killings of innocent and unsuspecting persons in the State by rampaging armed herdsmen and overzealous state security operatives.

The ugly situation has continued to raise serious concern among citizens of the state.

Speaking to our reporter in Owerri on Monday while reacting to a recent state-of-the-state address by the governor, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, the people warned that Imo State giving the ceaseless, mindless and bloodletting, warned may degenerate to another Benue in no distant time, if the appalling trend is not checked.

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A trader in Owerri, who simply identified him self as Ugo Nwagwu lamented that the nefarious activities of killer herdsmen and trigger-happy police and military personnel have made life most unbearable and precarious for the citizens in recent time.

Nwagwu wondered why the government simply abandoned the hapless citizens to their fate without visible practical steps to address the bloodthirsty herdsmen and security operatives menace.

He expressed worry that many communities in Imo State have been overrun by Fulani terrorists operating as herdsmen who engage in kidnapping for ransom, ritual murder, human organ harvesters, cannibalism, rape and other forms of social vices.

Another contributor, a civil servant who preferred anonymity noted with dismay that many unscrupulous security operatives who by their call of duty are supposed to protect the citizens have turned themselves into the proverbial dog that ‘ate the bone hung on its neck.’

Mr Jones Ukeje, a driver, Ms Joyce Azu, hairdresser, Anayo Uzoma, carpenter among others who spoke estimated that no fewer than 2,000 persons in Imo may have fallen to bullets and machetes of the mindless herdsmen and security men in various overt and covert operations.

Another concerned citizen, Uchenna Uba identified operatives of the military and police as the worst culprits in the evil act of extrajudicial killings alleging that most killings credited to unknown gunmen were perpetrated by them under cover.

He said: “Of a truth, life is unsafe here and nobody can pretend about it. The Fulani terrorists are all over the place operating unperturbed. Security operatives brazenly kill with impunity and nobody blinks over that.

He recalled what happened at Izombe, Orsu, Onuimo, parts of Okigwe where terrorist herdsmen massacred over 20 youths last month adding that there are also confirmed reports of the gruesome murder of a woman in her farm at Amala, the Aba-Owerri attacks, killing of the pregnant woman at Umueze Ezemba all in Ngor Okpala LGA, killing of villagers at Agwa Community, Oguta LGA and parts of Ahiazu Mbaise LGA by suspected operatives.

He said that in Owerri West LGA of Imo, there’s hardly any day Fulani terrorists do not abduct, kill or rape the villagers and residents. Recall that the Imo Police Command a couple of months ago uncovered bush hideout near FUTO at Ihiagwa; littered with corpses and dismembered human parts.

He said: “In fact, the list is endless and Imo has been bleeding profusely courtesy of indiscriminate and unabating brutality of security operatives, armed Fulani herdsmen and other men of the underworld. Life here is perilous now”.