Members of Nsukka Welfare Association, Qatar lauds the passage of the bill prohibiting open grazing of animals into law in Enugu state.

Most members of Nsukka Welfare Association, Qatar praised the Enugu State House of Assembly for passing the Enugu State Prohibition of Open Grazing and Regulated Cattle Ranching and Connected Purposes Bill into law. They are urging the state governor; Rt. Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to act quickly-just like members of the House of Assembly-and sign the bill into law.

Open grazing of cattle by herders has become the biggest cause of insecurity in Nsukka zone in modern times. In August 2012, suspected herdsmen killed two teenagers helping their parents in their farms at Nimbo, Uzo Uwani LGA after school. Vanguard newspaper of 18 August 2012 reported the killing of 17 year old Thaddeus Utazi, a JSS3 student and 19 year old Michael Okeh, an SS2 student.

In February 2016, they struck in neighboring Abbi, killing a middle aged man; Mr. Fidelis Okeja and his sister Mercy Oreshu Okeja. They injured several other persons, burnt numerous houses and properties before villagers regrouped and forced them back into the forests. Details of this gruesome murders and destructions were reported by the Sun newspaper of 28 February 2016. They returned to Nimbo on 25 April 2016 and slaughtered about 13 persons in what remains the biggest massacre in Nsukka zone since the end of the Biafran war. Several homes, churches, cars and motorcycles were burnt down at Nimbo on that day by the rampaging herdsmen, prompting national and international outrage.

More than five years later on Monday, 26 July 2021, herdsmen again attacked Obie Aku farm settlement at Opanda, Uzo Uwani LGA, killed one person and injured several others.

Starting from an unspecified period of time, suspected herdsmen have reportedly killed more than a dozen persons in Mgbuji community in Eha Amufu, Isi Uzo LGA. The Sun newspaper on 3 August 2021 reported the massacre of 8 persons including a pregnant woman and a grandmother in the beleaguered community in one single day by suspected herdsmen militia. Hostage taking, rape and destruction of farmlands are now regular occurrences in the area.

The House of Assembly has nipped rural banditry in Enugu state in the bud by passing this bill into law. We expect the governor to match their speed by signing this bill into law immediately so that peace and prosperity could return to our communities.

 

***Chika Omeje writes from Doha, Qatar.