EBONYI/BENUE BOUNDARY COMMUNITY HERDSMEN ATTACK: REASONS FOR POOR RESCUE
Reporter : AMECHI ODO
Last week, suspected herder militia invaded Benue and Ebonyi States boundary communities of Nduobashi, Odoke, and Obakotaru communities, who are mainly from Izzi ancestry of Ebonyi State.
The invaders killed scores of people, maimed others and burnt houses as well as market stalls.
As a result, opinion leaders have identified lack of good road network and security as factors that hindered rescue operation during the attack.
Our Correspondent, who visited the communities, reports that displaced persons seek refuge in the churches, market square and homes of relatives.
The densely populated Nduobashi, Odoke and Obakotaru communities are located at the fringe of Ebonyi State boundary with Benue State and Benue State is also administratively in charge of the area.
As a result, accessing the communities is always difficult due to the bad terrain of its rural roads while there is no network coverage for mobile communication and no presence of the police.
Recounting his ordeal, the traditional leader of one of the communities, Chief Idenyi Agbo, said the area had suffered government neglect for years.
He pointed out that many of the victims died due to lack of hospital and good roads for evacuation.
Corroborating his view, the priest incharge of Christ the King Parish Nwaedeoga, the Reverend Father Clement Eje, noted that attackers would have been tracked down if not for the poor road network in the area and cautioned youths against false alarm.
Another member of the community, Chief Augustine Nwego, said it would take years for the victims to come out of the trauma and called on Benue State Government to provide them with relief materials.
The District Head of neighbouring Ijukpan Community, Chief Christopher Onuma, suggested the need for intelligence sharing between Idoma and Izzi communities in the area to stop further invasion by herder militia.
The federal lawmaker representing Ado, Okpokwu and Ogbadigbo Federal Constituency, Mr. Francis Ota, expressed worry that Nigeria was at cross roads as a result of herder militia attacks and urged the people to synergise and protect the area.
M.r Ota stated that the provision of electricity to the communities had been captured in the 2021 budget and said he would brief Governor Samuel Ortom on the predicament of the victims.
Meanwhile, public spirited individuals and charity organisations have continued to support Ebonyi State Government’s efforts in funding the medical treatment of survivors of the attack, many of them are at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki.