Herdsmen’s Attack: NANS Cautions Against Retaliation

The Enugu State chapter
of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has berated those inciting youths of the state to take a reprisal action over recent Fulani herdsmen’s attack on communities in the state.
NAN declared that such call was counter-productive and might endanger the youths and students in the state.
It was gathered that some youths especially on the social media, had been inciting the students and youths of Enugu State to retaliate the recent attack on Ndiagu Attakwu community by suspected herdsmen, which left two persons dead and several others seriously injured.
But NAN, in a reaction yesterday via a statement made available to journalists in Enugu, described such comments as “careless, inciting and inimical to the calculated efforts being made by the state Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to decisively resolve the issue in line with the oath of office he swore to uphold.”
In the statement jointly signed by the State Chairman of NANS, Comrade Chidi Ilogebe and its South East and South South PRO, Comrade Victor Ezenagu, the students union condemned the attack in its entirety.
The union noted that the menace of the herdsmen was a national issue and required the swift intervention of the federal government, which was constitutionally empowered to nip in the bud the atrocities of the marauders.
It stressed that “Enugu State is one of the most peaceful and least states in the country that were being ravaged by the herdsmen, wondering why some people should attempt to instigate the students to retaliate while they sit back in their comfort zones and watch.”
It pointed out that unlike in Ekiti State, the population of Igbos living in the northern parts of the country was enormous, fueling fears that any unlawful action against the herdsmen in retaliation may likely put the Igbos in the north at the receiving end.
On the call by some Igbo groups for the Enugu Governor to emulate Governor Ayo Fayose’s actions against the herdsmen, the union said that no true Igbo leader would support any act that could lead to bloodshed or undermine the peace and unity of the country.
According to NAN, Governor Ugwuanyi, as a responsible leader believes in due process and constitutional ways of addressing issues of this nature and should not be pushed to instigate the people of the state to take laws into their hands.
The Students Union however expressed confidence in the ability of the state government in ensuring that justice was done on the matter, and stressed the need for the governor to summon a town hall meeting with the relevant stakeholders to sensitise the people and chart a new course for the safety of lives and property.