THE BRAVE LADY,GBURUGBURU & NSUKKA YOUTHS

On Monday, tomorrow, I will be once again occupied by my daily teaching activities like each one of us in your own ethical works all over the world.

I had planned to say bye to this matter but as responses trickle in one is at personal feeling to respond.

I still hail that young woman for speaking out her mind. She, like some of us, was angered by what we read and pictures we saw realistically from natural human settings in Nenwe and now Nomeh.

All the outburst from this Nsukka Youths’ spokesman is the worst tactic used to confuse people.

In all his speech one did not hear him clear the Governor of why he gave people money in Nenwe and called the money tobacco/ chop chop money; and we Nigerians or human beings know better when human beings behave like that in a matter like what that, means.

If Nenwe people clashed or have an issue with the murderous group like the Fulani/ Cattle Herders. If a Governor goes there the communique that would be issued and would give reasonable Nenwe and other people a sense of security and transparency will be stern security measures we could lay hands on in the communique, not bribe money being given to anyone.

In short, the Govetnor’s handling of the matter still remains foggy to say the least.

The Nsukka spokesman did not give us a sound method by which the governor settled the encounter of Nenwe people and the killers. He just kept heaping blames on the young women even questioning her Nsukka citizenship: does that matter to standing and proclaiming the truth?

Instead of haunting for the young woman, let the Nsukka Youths come out and verify for us that the lands said to be given to the Ruga Project in Nomeh and Emudo, Nenwe that are defended by mobile police are false!

We got nothing from the spokesman than the usual Nigerian corrupt way of defending even a demon if he will give out pepper soups/ jobs/ and position.

To date, what transpired in Nenwe and now Momeh remains scary!

Why hasn’t the Igwe who was implicated in this matter come out to clear the cloud?

We would listen to him to tell us as Nenwe people what he knows as a person who is in the epicenter of the whole controversy.

May the young woman live long for her bravery. Whatever happens to her, she will be Enugu State Jones de Arc, I hope I spelled her names well: the gallant French Lady That was burned to death on the stake for her bravery whose portrait can be seen on the shoulders of French elite Navy Units in recognition of her bravery when it was not recognized by the people of her time.

The young women has balls in between her legs in such a way that some of us men are not even close!

J.C.

Fulani herders owe farmers over N10m in damages, we don’t want them in our community again –Nenwe residents

SATURDAY STORY
Fulani herders owe farmers over N10m in damages, we don’t want them in our community again –Nenwe residents
Published July 6, 2019
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Raphael Ede, Enugu

Agbada Nenwe community in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State was recently in the news after a viral video showed people believed to be from the community escorting some herders suspected to be Fulani, and a large number of cattle out of the place.

The police and Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in the South-East have denied the video, saying such a thing never happened there, but Saturday PUNCH investigation has shown that the video originated from the community.

Contrary to the police report denying that some herders and their cows were driven out of Agbada Nenwe by members of the community, some members of the community, who spoke to our correspondent when he visited the community during the week, confirmed that they actually drove the herders with their cattle away from their community. According to them, the herders and their cattle were allegedly driven to the community from other adjoining communities, although, they did not mention such other communities.

Some of those who spoke to Saturday PUNCH ascertained the veracity of the online video showing youths of the community chasing herders and their cattle out of the community, and also justified their action. However, it appeared that members of the community had been advised to be silent on the incident, but some of them recounted what they had lost in the hand of Fulani herders in the last four years.

They took our correspondent to hectares of land that were claimed to have been abandoned and uncultivated because of the activities of herders in the community, as they said they wouldn’t want them to return to torment the community again.

They claimed that the herders owed the community N10.9m worth of crops their cattle had destroyed in various farms there.

The state police command had in a statement by its Public Relations Officer in the state, Ebere Amaraizu, a Superintendent, dismissed as false the report and online video showing herders and hundreds of cows being asked to leave the host community.

The police had in its statement said, “the Nigeria Police Force wishes to inform members of the public that its attention has been drawn to information in existence that a large herd of cattle and some herders were escorted peacefully out of Nenwe, Aninri community of Enugu State on 29/6/19 by youths believed to be from Agbada Nenwe and further wish to update members of the public who may have been misinformed with the state of things.

“On receipt of this information, the state Commissioner of Police directed for an investigation into the alleged development and that following preliminary enquiry conducted, it was revealed that such situation never existed and that it was only the movement of cattle and herders from Cross River State through Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and a neighbouring town for grazing.

“That the herders and their cattle were on transit and had got nothing to do with escorting out of herders and cattle out of the said community.

“That the said piece of information in circulation is viewed to be the handiwork of mischief makers who want to brew rancour, cause panic and fear and also sow seeds of acrimony as well as instigate violence.”

It further stated that the command had commenced investigation to arrest those spreading the “mischievous information” so that they could be brought to justice.

Toeing the same narrative, the state governor, Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, denied that such incident happened as he appealed for peaceful coexistence between cattle breeders and members of their host communities in the state.

The governor, who visited the Agbada Nenwe on Monday, had while addressing a joint meeting of members of the community and their Fulani counterparts, described the state as peaceful and a home for all.

Igwe Francis Imo, traditional ruler of the community, however, described what happened on June 29, 2019 as a ‘spontaneous incident’ that did not amount to chasing herders from the community.

“What you saw was a spontaneous reaction and not that Fulani people were driven out of Agbada Nenwe,” he said.

On his part, the Zonal Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, described the clip as misleading and inciting.

“We seek understanding devoid of inhibitive suspicion in our commitment towards a more conducive environment for our business to thrive in a more vibrant and progressive state economy,” Siddiki said.

But a member of the community, who gave his name as Obinna Ofudo, said the atrocities the herders had unleashed on the community in the last four years were unimaginable.

“Before now, herders cohabited peacefully with people in our community. They didn’t steal and destroy our crops, they didn’t rape our women.  But from four years ago, the new faces of herders that have been coming to our community have been terrorists. They are too hostile; they uproot our cassava to feed their cattle.

“Can you imagine that a herder would come to your farm while you are harvesting your rice and tell you to hasten up, that his cattle want to eat? If for some reason you could not finish harvesting the crops that day, before the next day, their cattle would have consumed the farm crops.

“So, if you want good things, do not destroy other people’s properties. Their cattle are their business and our farm is our own business,” he said.

Similarly, a resident who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being attacked, said, “(Regarding) the issue about if there is anything they can do for us to accept them back again, (I will say) they should leave our farm for us because they want to put us in hunger. In fact, it is not that they want to do that, they have already put us in hunger. A young person or an old woman will plant crops that they need to feed their family with, but before it is time to harvest the crops, they will take their cattle to the farm and destroy everything. You cannot get anything. All your efforts, your money and everything, they will destroy.

“Since they started destroying our farm crops, they have not paid any damages or compensation for what they caused. They have never done that in this area. In a neighbouring village, people there said that they were trying to drive their cattle away and wounded one of them, they (herdsmen) collected money because of that, but for their things and the crops that they (the cattle) destroyed, they (herders) did not pay anything for them.”

He said the herders started acting with impunity about four years ago.

“They had been coming before; we didn’t have any problem with them. They would come when we had already harvested our crops from the farms and we wouldn’t quarrel with them. And when it was time for next farming season, they would leave with their cattle. But at some point, they started coming before the harvesting period to destroy our farms.

“We have complained to the police and other security agencies but nothing has been done about it and they will come the next time and destroy even more things. Even police have visited our farms to see things for themselves – farms the herders had destroyed with their cattle. So, we are saying we don’t want them again in our community,” he said.

However, midway into the investigation, our correspondent was accosted by the President General of the community, Prince Horace Oguejiofor, who was in company with some local security men. They said they were scared and demanded to know who sent the reporter. The reporter was held up for 30 minutes, and pictures of his car and identification card were taken. Despite his explanation, they claimed that he might have been sponsored by the herdsmen to spy on the community. It took the intervention of The PUNCH to get him freed.

When the President General was sure that he was not on spy mission, he confirmed to Saturday PUNCH that “the herders owed my community over N10.9m worth of crops that were assessed to have been destroyed by their cattle. The document is with government and the police are aware of it. They told us they would come and pay the damages but regrettably as we speak, they have not done so”.

Meanwhile, when the zonal leader of Miyetti Allah in the South-East, Siddiki was contacted on the telephone to respond to the allegation that herders owed the community millions of naira in damages, he did not answer his calls.

As at the time of filing this report, he had not called back or replied the text messages sent to his phone number.

https://punchng.com/fulani-herders-owe-farmers-over-n10m-in-damages-we-dont-want-them-in-our-community-again-nenwe-residents/

SOME HEADLINES ON NENWE SOCIAL MEDIA

SOME NENWE HEADLINES ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA:

NENWE PEOPLE DEMAND 'RESPECT' FROM ALL GUESTS

The happenings of today(peaceful  escort and eviction of destructive and disrespectful guests) and how  it trends on the  social media has  left the community thinking, because  they considered it a simple legitimate and natural action that  is least expected  of  any free  human being and  we have always fought to be free.

The warnings and cautions  of possible reprisal and vindictive  attack  leaves  also the community thinking about what had happened or done wrong to suggest that someone might think that?

The Fulani and their cattle are not new  to us.  Some of our  daughters  are officially married  to them and some of our men are also married to some of their women. Nenwe people are generally liberal , welcoming and respectful.  They Fulani s have stayed relatively peaceful in the community until recent years when they started showing some arrogant attitudes.

'Our fulani guests' who had bows and arrows  continued  to welcome other strange fulanis who have AK 47. These later arrivals  gradually outnumbered  the initial guests and there animals became more than our bushes  can contain. They were arrogant, violent and disrespectful to our people,culture and traditional. Thefts and rape became  daily issues and we couldn't find our reference point original  fulanis anymore . The villagers  receive ultimatums from these guests  on when to harvest their crops or they would push thousands of cows in the farms. Farmers  started losing lots of money and patience. Mark you that Nenwe is  a farming community in Aninri LGA. They (FULANIS) would tell you boldly that the police  wouldn't do them anything and they were always right.  Dialogue  became difficult and delinquency increased  since they had  some unwritten immunity and  the   of impunity that follows it . The ground nuts , corns and yams are still in the farms and these people have started grazing on them unabated, then yesterday with the arrival of about 3000(three thousands) new animals  the villagers  didn’t have another option  than to  block them on the road  and give them all a gentle and peaceful  marching orders  out of the territory as to salvage their crops.

A BRIEF BACKGROUND OF NENWE PEOPLE:

Nenwe is a  peace loving town of  four autonomous communities in Aninri LGA of the old Greater Awgu. It is predominately  an agricultural (farming) community.

The people are respectful,  patient,peaceful, hospitable, though they have in the course of history ‘seen it all’ in problems form  hands of misinformed  authorities  due to  their courage,discipline, intolerance  to indiscipline,quest for independence and democracy which are ingredients  they believe would guarantee   their survival as a people .

u They were the community that engaged the Edah and Aro slave mongers  (in the late 18^th century) who continued to ravage the whole area. This  was not without a great toll on their lives and resources. The defeat of the Edahs  is still marked with annual  festivals  that include fight and war skill exhibitions by youths  who start from 6 to 20 years to practice fiscal combat and management of conventional weapons.

u The British colonial masters in the last century didn’t understand the Nenwe mentality and fell apart with them . The nenwe people  courageously but untactactacally   told off the District commissioner (DC)  by claiming they would be  to be inviting the Germans from Cameroon  who they heard were better than the British. The British colonial men couldn't imagine this.  The  commissioner had  to send  some police men to punish and  collect fines  but  they were given some lessons of war. Then from Okigwe  they sent some (automatic) gunners  who came and mowed down half of the town and imposed a local tyrant on them as ruler.

The dictator was brutal and disrespectful and moved  with tens of body guards though  on a particular market day a coup was planned and his head was chopped off in the market by nenwe  youths. The town suffered again  more British shootings  and fines from the colonial masters.But  their tactics and behaviour in Nenwe changed because it seemed   they got a lesson on how to respect a people.

u The 1966 coup saw one of their sons in the forefronts. The Bifran militia had their greatest logistic Division in Nenwe therefore most Nenwe people were the first that enrolled  both in the boys  brigade and the  Rangers. The Abagana junction ambush that whipped NA Div 2 had the imprint of two of Nenwe  sons behind  the  Biafran special weapons. The sinking of the  NN ship at Uguta in early 1968  had a gallant Nenwerian  behind the shore batteries . After the war they had to contend  with the undisciplined and disrespectful  126  and 128 battalions of the Nigerian Army  who occupied the town till 1974. Most of the young men who were Biafran Commandos abandoned the town in anger and migrated until the occupying soldiers left.

u In the dark days (1978) of squabbles  with neighbouring towns , {a period that fortunately has become history due to sacrifices of everyone who worked   towards ,peace and progress of all communities}. The NPF and other security agencies who came to quell the combats  became very corrupt , disrespectful  and consequently  lost some operatives and combatants in Nenwe. The town was literally razed and  destroyed by the Nigerian police , some Nenwe lives were lost but more importantly the security agents and military started being more respectful while operating on Nenwe soil. Mark you Nenwe sons and daughters occupy the highest positions in the security agencies  so it is  not a hatred  for the profession but hatred for indiscipline, rather a Nenwe association (Nenwe Integrity Foundation)  last year single handedly built a multi million Police Station and donated it to the NPF .

• In the mid 2000s many criminal including military people made Nenwe a haven for oil pip breaking, rapes , stealing and all sort of crime. when this got to a point  the community couldn’t take it  any more and the   the police was impotent as usual,  the community  informed all involved in the criminal act to vacate  but they didn’t understand when Nenwe people speak form their hearts and souls..... The community ‘banned' the Nigerian  Security agencies   from coming to Nenwe for 48 hour so that the could  do the job their way  since they have been been abandoned to criminals. However in 20 hours 13 disrespectful and undisciplined people were shown the way to discipline  and from then onwards  people started to leave their doors open again in Nenwe, and women going about in the farms alone  till the arrival of these fulani people.

 I just narrated these 4 painful periods in Nenwe history to show that we are very respectful and disciplined people but do not shy away from stamping our feet on the ground when our humility and kindness are misunderstood and our patience put to limits.

This said  we appeal to the State governor and the FGN to caution the fulani people  on their unruly behaviour in Nenwe and to desist from disturbing the peace  in Nenwe. We also ask our neighbours  to control those in their homes  because any fuani who comes to Nenwe must have to  run to a town  and that town will account for whatever... .
As stated  already we want to live in peace in our town and we want anyone  who wants to live  with us  to be peaceful . We don't have anything against the Fulani people after all Nenwe people peacefully living  in the northern Nigeria are 50 times more than the Fulanis  etc living in Nenwe. We only ask our guests  to respect us and respect the laws.

They said they are coming to attack us  because  we do not want our crops destroyed. Well, we have no other place to run  to than Nenwe and as we say in Nenwe parlance: "...Ayi lo ya.." 

Thanks
From 
The Nenwe Youths.