Enugu Ezike set for another attack by herdsmen

www.odogwublog.com reports that there was a serious panic and fear Sunday night in Enugu Ezike, a densely populated town in Igboeze North local government area of Enugu state over alleged report of attack on some villagers by people suspected to be herdsmen.

When contacted the traditional ruler of Aji Igwe Osisi Itodo confirmed that people ran into his palace for safety but several calls he put across to the police and the council chairman shows that there was no presence of herdsmen in Enugu Ezike.

A villager who called on phone reported that people were running helter-skelter following the news that the herdsmen have invaded some boundary villages in the neighborhood with Benue state like Umuopu and Isiuguwu and were already spreading up to Amufie and  Ogrute, the council headquarters.

According to the caller, there was serious panic as villagers were scampering for safely with some running to take cover at the police station while others ran to the palace of traditional rulers.

The caller if the people saw herdsmen around  the villages on Sunday or at the weekend, she said that she cannot give that information but al she can say is that everybody is the run.


Contacted also, the chairman of Igboeze North Hon. Uwakwe Ezeja dismissed the report describing it as a "very damaging rumor."

Ezeja said that he got a distress call around early hours of sunday nite that herdsmen were attacking villagers at Umuopu following which he rushed down to umuopu but on arrival people at Umuopu told him that the attackers were at Isiugwu which was also not true.

The chairman said that he turned back and while he was approaching ogrute another caller told him that the herdsmen have arrived at ogrute but on arrival at ogrute there was nothing like herdsmen.

The council boss said that he later found out that what transpired was that a drunkard man raised false alarm about the presence of herdsmen somewhere at ofate in Benue state a village near Umopu and from there the rumor just spread like wide fire with people using their phones to add salt and pepper to it.

"It was a rumor but the impact of phone users heightened it to alarming rate, people posted a lot of false information on Facebook and before we know what was going on people have started calling their relations from all over the country and overseas" he added

He urged the people who are spreading the rumor to desist from going further and called on  people of the town to go about their normal businesses as the police and the vigilante out fit known as neighborhood watch are in control of security situation in the area.

In his reaction the Enugu state police public relation officer SP Ebere Amaraizu described the report as false and an attempt by mischief makers to cause fear and panic. Amaraizu also urged the people to go about their businesses as security has been beefed up in the area.