Isuochi youths in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, Wednesday protested the incessant kidnappings by herdsmen in the area.
This was following the kidnap of the Prelate of Methodist Church, Nigeria, His Eminence Samuel Uche and two other clerics last Sunday and who were freed on Monday allegedly after payment of N100 million ransom.
Dressed in blacks and chanting war songs, the youths in their numbers matched to the Umunneochi Council headquarters at Nkwoagu Isuochi where they conveyed their grievances to the Council Chairman and shared their grievances about the menacing and atrocities of herdsmen in the area.
They displayed placards with various inscriptions like ”Enough is enough”, “Garki cattle market must go”, “Army should open Ihube/Isuochi road”, among others.
The spokesperson of the youths, Comrade Divine Uche, said they would no longer tolerate continued harassment, torture and kidnappings for ransom by herdsmen in the area and accused security agents especially the army of not doing much to checkmate the herdsmen.
The youths demanded an immediate relocation of Lokpanta regional cattle market which they alleged, provides cover for the criminals instead of deterring them and the removal of the military checkpoint at Lomara junction and the barricade by the soldiers blocking the Ihube/Isuochi road.
The presence of the military checkpoint in the area, they said has not stopped kidnappings and other criminal activities of herdsmen rather abductions for ransom go on with impunity under the nose of the security agents in the area.
They vowed that if after seven days their demands were not met, they might be forced to take laws into their hands to protect their people against criminal herders on the prowl in the area.
According to a female local, “we now live in fear of herdsmen who have been terrorising our people,” and challenged security agencies in the state to rise up to the occasion to avoid angry youths taking laws into their hands.
Responding, Chief of Staff to the Council Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Azubuike, who said his boss had gone to Umuahia for a security meeting with the Governor, thanked the youths for their peaceful comportment and promised to convey their grievances to the chairman.
He noted with concern, the atrocities of herdsmen in the area and the docility of security agencies and expressed his sadness that the efforts of the Council to open up the Ihube/Isuochi road were being frustrated by the soldiers at the Lomara military checkpoint who insist that the Council must first complete a perimeter fencing of their post there.
According to him the Council has done over 80% of the work but regretted that the soldiers have continued to frustrate efforts to complete the project.
He alleged that the cement bought by the Council for the work was even destroyed by rain due to the hostile attitude of the soldiers.
The Chief of Staff said that the Council was already overwhelmed by the security challenges in the area, and appealed to both the state and federal governments to come to their rescue.
When contacted, Spokesman, 14 Brigade Ohafia, Lt Omale said he was in a conference.
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