No fewer than 300 students from the Federation of Association of Nsukka Students and the South-East Students Association on Tuesday in Nsukka staged a protest in condemnation last week’s killings in Nimbo, Enugu State by alleged herdsmen.
The students, who marched through the major roads in Nsukka town, carried placards various inscriptions such as: “We don’t want Fulani herdsmen in the South-East again”; and “Federal Government should disarm herdsmen and call them to order”.
Others read: “If herdsmen kill all our parents, brothers and sisters who will feed and pay our school fees”; “We say no to any other killing in the South-East;” Students say no to the grazing bill”; and Fulani herdsmen: enough is enough”.
Speaking with newsmen, the National President of FANS, Hilary Omeke, said the students decided to carry out the protest because of numerous atrocities allegedly perpetrated by herdsmen.
Omeke said the most recent of such atrocities was the Nimbo massacre in which many were killed, others injured and property destroyed.
He said: “What happened in Nimbo is an unprovoked attack on the people of the community by herdsmen; we are carrying this protest to tell the herdsmen and Federal Government that enough is enough.
“If government and relevant security agencies fail to call the herdsmen to order, if such killings occur again, we have no option than to retaliate.
“If we keep quiet and the herdsmen finish killing our parents and our siblings, who will be our parents and siblings and who will train us in school?”
According to Omeke, the herdsmen allegedly kill, rape women in their farms, kidnap people and demand outrageous sums of money as ransom.
He said: “We say no to incessant killing, rape and kidnap of our people by herdsmen.
“Government should quickly intervene to save us from armed merciless killers who move about under the guise of herdsmen.”
Also speaking, Kenneth Odo, the President of FANS, University of Nigeria, Nsukka chapter, said they were wearing black to mourn people killed in Nimbo.
FANS is an umbrella body for all students from Nsukka senatorial district schooling in different tertiary institutions in the country.
Odo said the protest was to demonstrate their sadness over the activities of herdsmen in Nsukka Senatorial District in particular and South East in general.
He said: “As result of these incessant attacks, some of our colleagues whose parents are affected in the killings have dropped out from school.
“Injury to one is injury to all; herdsmen should either live in the place peacefully or leave South-East completely.”
Linda Nwagu, who spoke on behalf of students from other South East states, condemned the incessant killings, raping and kidnaps allegedly carried by herdsmen in the area.
Nwagu urged the Federal Government to treat the issue of herdsmen as a serious crime before the issue gets out of hand.
He said: “It is unfortunate that herdsmen move around freely with dangerous weapons such as AK 47 without any question from security agents.
“Students from the South East want government to cut the excesses of herdsmen before they snowball into another Boko Haram.”
NAN reports that the protest was peaceful as police patrol vans were following the protesters to prevent it from being hijacked by hoodlums.
NAN.
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