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Police Plead for Calm as Cultists Kill Enugu Town Union Leader
The Enugu State Police Command has appealed to law-abiding residents of Oruku community to remain calm, while it hunts the killers of their town union Vice Chairman, Samuel Ani, who was shot dead at his residence.
The command, in a statement by Daniel Ndukwe, regretted the callous and brutal killing of Ani by those it said should have protected him if he was being attacked.
The statement read in part, “The command received an incident report that on February 24, 2021 around 7.30am, hoodlums suspected to be among the warring factions in Oruku community shot and murdered one Samuel Ani at his residence in the community.
“However, the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Aliyu, has enjoined law-abiding residents of the community to remain calm, while the police intensify efforts to fish out and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Some residents of Oruku community in the Nkanu East Local Government Area of the state condemned the state government’s inaction for the crisis that is bedevilling the area, which resulted in the killing of the Vice Chairman of the Oruku Town Union Caretaker Committee, Chief Samuel Ani, by gunmen suspected to be cultists.
The community blamed the killing, continued burning of houses and destruction of property in the community since December 26, 2020 on Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s inaction and betrayal.
They said the governor brought them out in the name of making peace and abandoned them half-way to be slaughtered without doing anything about their predicament.
This is coming barely two months after the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Emmanuel Mbah, was shot dead by policemen from the Force Headquarters while addressing members of his community during their annual general meeting on December 26, 2020.
His killing, which was blamed on some members of the community, who allegedly conspired with the police, sparked reactions leading to the burning of 77 houses and the only market in the community.
It was gathered that since then, heavy shooting had been going on in the community despite the fact that a detachment of policemen was stationed in the community to forestall further killings and burning of houses.
A community member, Mr Agozie Anih, who spoke to our correspondent on the development, said Ani was shot dead in his house on Wednesday.
He stated, “There was heavy shooting throughout the night. The policemen deployed to maintain peace were nowhere to be found.
“This morning (Wednesday), Chief Samuel Ani of the Oruku Caretaker Committee was shot dead in his home.
“The assailants are the same boys, who have been camping at Aguikpa, a neighbouring community and whom we have been complaining about and nothing was done about it. They have been attacking Oruku community every single day from that location. They call on the phone, tell the people in the village that they are coming and they do come. Two weeks ago, they started calling that they must kill somebody. That somebody must go down and now this morning, they carried out their death threat.”
When asked if the incident was reported to the police, Anih stated, “Of course, it was reported to the government and the police, but nothing was done about it. The number of the policemen posted to Oruku went down from 36 to six and the six leave the community by 5.30pm and returned by 6.30am or 7am.
“That’s what they have been doing since. Now, this man, a member of the caretaker committee set up by the government, has been killed. He was not a young man that you will say that he was taking part in anything; he was over 60-year-old. They just went to his house and killed him.”
Asked if the people causing the mayhem were untouchable, Anih said, “Ask that from the government. We know where these hoodlums are. How many petitions have the community written?
“Three days ago, there was an incident at Aguikpa; an Oruku man went to drop somebody at Aguikpa and the boys cornered him and wanted to take him somewhere to kill him, he resisted and struggled with them.”
He claimed that the government knew the people causing the mayhem and blamed the governor for allegedly refusing to do anything about the situation in the community.
Anih added, “The governor can stop them but he doesn’t want to. He wants to be in good terms with everybody.
“The farm of the former Chairman of the Nkanu East Local Government Council, Mr Ejike Ani, was attacked and burnt by the same criminals and nothing was done.”
The Chairman, Oruku Neighbourhood Watch, Mr Emmanuel Ani, corroborated Anih’s claims.
He said, “The same group of cultists, who were hired by some notable people in the community and who don’t want the over 30-year-old war between Oruku and Umuode to stop, this morning killed the Vice Chairman of the Oruku Caretaker Committee in his house.
“We are coming to Enugu now to deposit his body in the mortuary.”
PUNCH Metro gathered that the killing might not be unconnected to the ongoing sitting of the judicial panel of inquiry set up by government to probe the killing of the Oruku traditional ruler.
Sources disclosed that the town union was billed to make its presentation at the panel today (Thursday).
The state Commissioner for Information, Mr Chidi Aroh, when contacted on the accusation of inaction against the government, he said it was not true.
“This government set up a judicial commission of inquiry on the killing of their traditional ruler, Igwe Emmanuel Mbah, and the panel is yet to conclude its investigation. So, what do they want the governor to do?” he asked.
The Punch
Jigawa State governor, Umar Namadi, has cautioned against calls for self-defence from mauruding bandits and killer herders, warning that such a move could plunge the country into anarchy.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Governor Namadi responded to recent comments by retired General Theophilus Danjuma, who urged Nigerians to defend themselves against bandits and armed attackers, particularly in Benue and Plateau states.
General Danjuma, a former Minister of Defence, had argued that reliance on the government for protection was no longer tenable given the spate of violence and killings in the country.
“It is now very clear that the government alone cannot protect us. We must stand up and defend ourselves, our families, and our lands before these criminals overrun the entire country,” Danjuma said during a public event in Takum, Taraba State, on Saturday.
But Governor Namadi rejected that approach, describing it as a dangerous path.
“He (T.Y. Danjuma) is a very senior security person, and his words deserve respect and analysis,” Namadi said. “But I think if you say citizens should be allowed to defend themselves, you’re causing anarchy. I don’t think we’ve reached that level yet.”
He argued that rather than encourage armed self-defence, the government at all levels must continue to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
“The government is doing its best in terms of security arrangements. If you allow the people to defend themselves, that means you are encouraging a crisis between farmers and herders,” the governor warned.
Namadi cited his administration’s approach to resolving the long-standing farmer-herder clashes in Jigawa State as a better alternative. According to him, when he assumed office, he prioritised non-violent conflict resolution strategies.
“When we came in, we decided to employ a lot of strategies and tactics, including dialogue,” he said. “We engaged traditional rulers, as well as representatives of both farmers and herders. We sat down, reached a consensus, and established standing committees to reconcile all parties.”
He added that these efforts helped halt a decades-long conflict:
“The people now understand that the 25 years spent fighting and killing each other were not worth it. Today, they are able to work, interact, and live together in peace.”
Governor Namadi further noted that Jigawa is currently not among the states facing severe threats such as insurgency or mass killings by bandits. Instead, the primary challenge had been farmer-herder clashes, which his administration has successfully curtailed.
“We thank God that Jigawa State is not affected by insurgency or insecurity for no. The major issue we are dealing with is the herders-farmers clash, and we are addressing it decisively,” he said.
Despite the worsening security in other parts of the country, Governor Namadi insisted that self-defence is not a viable solution and could deepen the crisis:
“So, I think the government is doing its best, both at the federal and state levels. The issue of asking people to defend themselves — I think we have not reached that level yet.
Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, has revealed that the North will, in the next six months, take a stand on who to support for the presidency in 2027.
He boasted that no politician can win the presidency in 2027 without the support of the region.
In a video interview he granted in Hausa language, Baba-Ahmed, who appeared alongside a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf, lamented the state of the nation and urged northerners to resist divisive and deceptive politicians ahead of the next general elections.
He said: “In the next six months, the North will decide where it stands. If the rest of the country wants to join us, fine. If not, we will go our own way. One thing is clear: nobody can become president of Nigeria without northern support.
“We want a government that understands our problems and can address them. After Buhari’s eight years, we became wiser. Now, we are in another government, and we are still crying. Is crying all we know how to do?” Baba-Ahmed asked.
According to the former presidential aide, the North has suffered greatly during the Boko Haram insurgency, which affected all groups, Muslims, Christians, Fulani, Baju, and others, highlighting the need for unity.
“Before Buhari became president, Boko Haram was bombing mosques, churches, Abuja, and Lagos. That was a time Northerners had to unite. Today, no politician can just show up and expect Northerners to fall in line. Who are you?” he questioned.
He therefore warned against further marginalization of the North, noting that continued disregard for the region would have consequences.
“If they plan to rig the election, they should be careful. It won’t be good for Nigeria. The North is watching, elders, masses, and interest groups will soon say “enough is enough ‘. The injustice and sidelining must stop.
Baba-Ahmed urged the northern region to look beyond identity politics, stressing that competence and integrity should guide voter decisions.
“We are tired of being deceived into voting based on religion or ethnicity. That era is over. We just want a right leader, we just want someone who will solve our problems,” he said.
Telecommunications giant, Globacom, has charged Christians to embrace the virtues that Christ preached as the 2025 Easter celebrations hold this weekend.
While congratulating Christians in Nigeria in a goodwill message released from its Lagos Head Office on Thursday, Globacom admonished them to imbibe the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
According to Glo, “Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”
Globacom charged all Nigerians to espouse the lessons of selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society and called on all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
The company praised their perseverance through the 40-day Lenten period which comes before Easter as it emphasized the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
Easter comes yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of unhindered voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
