Edith CHUKU
Condemnation have continued to trail the unfortunate murder of the former secretary of Omuolu-Omunwei Community in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, Mr Nchelem Samuel Festus.
Festus, an OSPAC official, Charles Adiele and some members of the local vigilante group were according to eyewitnesses attacked by armed men, dressed like herders on Tuesday evening.
Festus was dragged from his vehicle, and stabbed multiple times, leading to his death while several others, including Charles, sustained injuries.
As the late Festus family mourn his demise, the National President, South South Youth Initiative SSYI, Mr Imeabe Saviour Oscar, has called on the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to declare Fulani herdsmen terrorist group.
Oscar who is also the leader of the Ogoni Youth Development Initiative, expressed dismay that the government has not made any effort to address the incessant rape, killing and destruction of farm produce by herdsmen.
He urged the president to, “prioritize security as one of his top most agenda and they should stop dialoguing with our killers, take decisive actions against them and they should be declared as terrorist group because that’s what they are. Our security operatives should be proactive
“It’s unfortunate that we have a government at the federal level that do not prioritize security and economic situation as one of his priority. If we had a government that prioritize security, as well as, economic situation, some of the lingering challenges that we have today as regards to insecurity would have been reduced.”
Oscar explained that “in several situations we have seen Fulani herdsmen going to people’s farm to terrorise them, destroy farmers produce. Recently, the federal government led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared the IPOB as a terrorist group, so what have stopped Mr president to also declare the herdsmen and Boko Haram as a terrorist group, why has he refused to declare these other groups as a terrorist group, is it that he is biased or lopsided?
“If the president is concerned about the well being of every Nigerian, he would have put the safety and welfare of every Nigeria as a major priority.
“Recently, we held a protest against fulani herdsmen in Ogoni land, where they killed one Dimkpa Goodluck in Ogoni, we protested to DSS, government house and Police, and unfortunately, we were invited and the question that was asked or what we were told was that we should go and dialogue with the killers and this has been the current situation we are facing. We should dialogue with our killers, those destroying our farmlands, dialogue what, how? They left their states, far north to this place to terrorise us?
“Churches in the north are not in peace but we have mosque everywhere in Rivers State and no one is disturbing them.”
