By Tony Ogaga
Member, House of Representatives representing Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, Hon. Evance Ivwurie, has petitioned the presidency over the murders allegedly attributed to herdsmen in the LGA.
Calling on the presidency to urgently constitute an investigative panel or commission of inquiry to investigate the murders, causes of the killings and attacks in Ethiope LGA of Delta State, and dated April 26 and signed by the House of Representatives member which was also copied to The National Security Adviser, The Inspector General of Police, The Secretary General, United Nations, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Nigeria Human Rights Commission, Hon. Iwurie decried the continuous and unabated murders in the LGA.
The petition read in part: “It is with a heavy heart that I write to bring to your attention the continuous deterioration of the security and unwarranted loss of lives and property in my constituency and to urgently seek your intervention to bring to an end the wanton killings, maiming and raping of my people by suspected armed Fulani Herdsmen at Ovre r’ Abraka/Eku/Igun in Ethiope East LGA of Delta State.”
According to the petition, those murdered include Solomon Ejor, Sunday Idama, Eyabigun Akpovena, Philip Obayendo, Francis Okotie, Margret Okotie, Adjeke Agodah and a young girl who was raped and physically assaulted in December, 2016 among a host of others.
Calling on the presidency to act swiftly Hon. Iwurie said: “My constituents have dutifully and regularly reported several incidences of killings, rapes, attacks, kidnappings and destruction of their crops and farmland by suspected Fulani Herdsmen to the Nigeria Police but the Police have failed to investigate and to bring any culprit to justice. I have provided the courageous leadership that visited the mentioned areas severally and I confirm that there are thousands of AK47-brandishing armed Fulani Herdsmen who barricade our farms, the paths and routes leading to our farmlands and plantation, while pretending to be grazing their cattle. Many of my constituents have managed to escape with bullet wounds and lost their limbs and our farmers are scared to go to their farm resulting in shortage of farm products and astronomical increase in the price of food and agricultural produce. The ensuing insecurity has inevitably brought about untold hardship for my people.
“I respectfully demand that Mr. President and the Federal Government should immediately take action to bring an end to the dangerous state of insecurity in my constituency, condemn these senseless and heartless killings, rapes, attacks and destruction of lives and properties by the suspected Fulani Herdsmen.
“I also request that Mr. President should as a matter of urgency, constitute an Investigative Panel or Commission of Inquiry to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the killings, rapes, attacks, and unravel the facts, perpetrators, determine the extent of injury suffered by any individual or group and identify the people behind the perpetrators and eject/ force them out of the Ovre r’ Abraka/Eku/Igun location to forestall an imminent breakdown of law and other in the area.”