CHRISTIAN Association of Nigeria (Can) officials have called on their members to start practising self-defence in response to the ongoing menace of Fulani herdsmen attacks following the recent massacre in Enugu State.
Over recent months, the growing menace of Fulani herdsmen clashing with local communities over grazing rights has escalated frighteningly, often with bloody consequences. Things escalated dramatically on Monday this week when cattle rearers attacked the Ukpabi Nimbo community in Enugu State killing about 48 people.
Sending shockwaves across the country, the incident resulted in the widespread destruction of property and Apostle Joseph Ajujungwa, the secretary of the Enugu State chapter of Can said the matter can no longer be considered lightly. While expressing shock those security operatives could not nip the attack in the bud despite having prior information, Apostle Ajujungwa called on southeast communities to rise up and defend themselves.
Apostle Ajujungwa said: “We are shocked and saddened over the level or carnage perpetrated by these Fulani herdsmen in Nimbo community. More painful is the fact that security agencies had ample time and opportunity but they looked the other way and in view of this, I am calling on the people of Enugu State and other southeast states to rise up and defend themselves because security operatives have failed.
"It would be wrong for our people to fold their hands and watch helplessly while our women are being raped, our men are being killed and our ancestral land is being taken away. In honour of those whose lives were snuffed away by these herdsmen, Can declares one-day of mourning and within this period, we ask our people to pray fervently and ask God to take control."
Meanwhile, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), has said terrorists and not Fulani herdsmen are killing people in remote communities across the country. IYC spokesman Eric Omare, condemned the slaughtering of innocent Nigerians in the Middle Belt, southwest and recently, in Enugu State.
He described the herdsmen’s actions as barbaric and noted that traditional Fulani herdsmen had conducted their business peacefully for decades without killing their neighbours. According to the IYC, the alleged sponsored attacks could be a plot by disgruntled persons to pit one ethnic group against the other to destabilise the country.
Mr Omare added: “We believe that the attacks are carried out by terrorists, who disguise as Fulani herdsmen. The traditional Fulani herdsmen have been grazing their cattle for decades in different parts of the country without such attacks, until recently when the attacks became persistent.
“The IYC believes that the attacks by the Fulani herdsmen are part of a deliberate terrorist and religious agenda to wipe out some communities in the Middle Belt and southern part of the country. We call on communities in Niger Delta, especially the Ijaw communities, to be vigilant and watch out for these terrorists disguising as Fulani herdsmen."
He called on community and youth leaders in different Niger Delta communities to set up structures to prevent such attacks and bring such activities to the knowledge of security agencies. According to Mr Omare, the IYC has already called for clan and community structures all over Ijawland to set up a special task force to monitor and report activities of these murderers masquerading as Fulani herdsmen.

http://www.nigerianwatch.com/news/9221-christian-association-of-nigeria-calls-on-igbos-to-arms-themselves-against-fulani-attacks

The questions that should be in the lip of every well thinking Nigeria is "how do this herdsmen come about these weapons they are peddling?"