By Samson Ezea
The recent fatal
herdsmen’s attacks on the Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani Council Area of Enugu
State has once more brought to the fore the urgent need for a permanent
solution to the recurring menace of herdsmen/host communities clashes across
the country. Obviously, the clashes have assumed a more sinister dimension in
recent times. Not helping matters in forestalling, precluding or quelling these
clashes are the various security agencies that have always appeared unprepared,
incapacitated or compromised in dealing with the situation as appropriate.
Unlike some attacks
across the country where security agencies were taken unawares, that of Nimbo
calls for introspection, investigation, punitive measures, and outright
overhauling of the security agencies in the State for better performance. There
is no doubt that the attack has raised more questions than answers, following
the events that preceded the attack, explanations of the Enugu State governor,
Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the roles of the security chiefs in the saga.
While governor
Ugwuanyi’s efforts and quick intervention as the Chief Security Officer of the
State to prevent the attack is quite commendable, the role of the security
chiefs in the saga is questionable, conspiratorial, shocking, and disturbing.
Is it not obvious that if governor Ugwuanyi had not summoned the emergency
security meeting and indigenes of Nimbo got hint of the impending attack and
moved out, the killings would have been more disastrous? Quite surprising is
the fact that none of the state security chiefs has refuted or countered
governor Ugwuanyi’s explanations since then. There is every need for them to
quickly explain to Nigerians why they decided to act otherwise after the
meeting with the governor prior to the attack. This is despite the fact that
the governor provided them with the intelligence report and other logistics
required of them to carry out their duties. The State security chiefs’ studied
silence signifies their admittance of failure to carry out their constitutional
responsibilities of securing lives and property.
