By Jones FCC
Yesterday, the so-called Unknown Gunmen went on rampage in Ozubulu, Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra. This time, they couldn’t find policemen or army to maim and slaughter, nor police vehicles to loot or raze. They couldn’t find their way to the Divisional Police headquarters or to any Army checkpoint. So, they unleashed their misdirected wrath on members of the community vigilante group. By the time they were done, about five vigilante members lay cold, the vigilante office razed down and the community was in disarray. Women were suddenly turned to widows, children became fatherless and siblings were heartbroken at the loss of their beloved brothers and maybe, breadwinners of the family.
Lest we forget; these vigilante personnel are part of the community’s most trusted security set-up. They would always be at ready to protect the community against any “invasion” by Fulani herdsmen or any external aggressors. They are the community’s best intelligence outfit, who complements the efforts of conventional security outfits. But, they were killed, presumably, by those who told us that they only interested in safeguarding our farmlands from encroachment from Fulani herdsmen, those who told us that their only interest is in protecting Igbo land.
No matter the robe we want to dress any group of armed bandits in, the truth remains that they forebode no good for our communities. Any group of people whose aim is to upturn all authorities and impose their own will on the people, forcefully, should not be supported by the citizenry. When they are done removing the obstacles mounted by legitimate state actors like the police and army, they will definitely come after soft targets.
Boko Haram is today kidnapping innocent children, slaughtering farmers, raping people’s wives and daughters, setting entire communities on fire. Yesterday, they told these communities that they were out to protect them. Even our current President cried foul when the military under a different commander-in-chief made efforts to crush those terrorists at their early stages. Today, even Buhari, as President cannot sleep with his two eyes closed. He can’t even go to his village in Daura in peace. His own nieces and nephews are in different bandits camps in forests, crying for help. Businesses are suffering in the Northeast, the children can’t go to school without fear of being abducted and farmlands are abandoned, making food scarce and more expensive than it would have been. May such fate never befall Igboland.
Our religious leaders, politicians, activists,journalists,scholars and anyone with some level of influence must come out to denounce the activities of these gunmen. If we think that we are protecting ourselves by keeping away from that topic, then, we are deceiving ourselves, because no one is safe under the rule of untrained, angry and uncontrolled men with guns.
NDI IGBO FU NU UZO!
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