Enugu killings: Senate calls for presence of security agencies in Uzo-Uwani

By Iyojo Ameh

The Senate has urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, to urgently ensure police and military presence in Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State.

The red chamber noted that it would ensure permanent stop to incessant killings and as well promote adequate security in the area.

This is sequel to adoption of a motion on need for the IGP and COAS to urgently curb the senseless killings and maiming of innocent indigenes of Nimbo, Adani in Uzo-Uwani local government area of Enugu state by bandits.

Ezea said that on April 7, five innocent farmers in Adani, a popular rice production community in Uzo- Uwani were callously murdered by some bandits who invaded the community in the wee hours of the morning to commit the dastardly act.

He said on April 28, at about 2 pm another attack was carried out in the same area where four innocent people in the farming village of Nimbo were gruesomely mowed down by bandits in an unprovoked attack that is reminiscent of the April 2016 Nimbo killings.

He said there was a major massacre in Nimbo community in the early hours of April 25, 2016, which left over 46 people dead and 14 persons injured, with their houses and other property completely razed.

He expressed worry that the killings did not seem to be isolated as their persistence indicated a pattern, saying that even with the 2016 killings, the authorities both at the state and Federal levels had not taken robust steps to stop it.

He expressed worry that if nothing very urgent and sustainable was done to put an end to the recurrent menace, people might begin to resort to self-help to ward off the criminal elements .

This, he said might eventually lead to a complete breakdown of law and order, especially given the already challenging security situation in the region.