The Igbo Youth Movement (IYM) has declared that the Igbo in Nigeria have been pushed to the wall by the activities of the Fulani herdsmen in the area.

Consequently, it has warned that what it called the horrific brigandage of the Fulani herdsmen has got way beyond what is condonable and tolerable.

IYM has also congratulated the Prof. Banji Akintoye on his election as the leader of the great Yoruba nation, describing him as a very knowledgeable leader of men and believing that he would move both Nigeria and Yoruba nation forward.

In a statement by the IYM Founder and Secretary-General, Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA), Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko, the group noted that “every once in a while, the devil seems to take total control of events in a kingdom. The result usually is avoidable bloodshed, bedlam, mayhem and utter destruction which take decades to rebuild. We are sadly, inexorably heading towards that path; the government is either overwhelmed or complicit.”

Apparently reacting to the gruesome murder of one Mrs. Pat Ugwu in Enugu two days ago, the IYM said, “The brazen rape and murder of 67-year-old Mrs. Pat Ugwu in her farm at Nchatancha Nike, Enugu State two days ago, is simply put, unpardonable and unacceptable.

“Traditional rulers, priests and community leaders seem preferred targets of choice, these expansionist demons of death are schooled by their sponsors and masters to hunt.”

The statement further reads: “It has finally become clear that these Fulani warriors and their protectors are simply implementing a carefully choreographed jihad of intimidation and conquest. General Danjuma screamed they are being protected by the military and security forces. Killing of policemen by soldiers in Taraba confirm soldiers could be compromised; confessions of arrested culprits that helicopters drop guns and ammunition for them, in the forest, simply completes the horror script. We have been under siege for four years now.

“The hapless communities now have no other choice than to defend themselves or perish. The days of endless endurance and era of trusting the security agencies to protect our people are over.

“The Fulani herdsmen brought war to our land as part of a larger agenda of vanquish and dominate. The ferocious incursion into our farmlands and homestead with rape, beheadings, amputations and general terror is the age-old well known trademark of these expansionist warriors for centuries. Our people are clearly in trouble.

“The obvious inability or deliberate lack of interest or both, by the government of the day, to rein in these vermin has already resulted to lack of trust between our leaders and the masses who are incensed that politicians are not doing enough to protect them, as seen in the Nuremberg, Germany incident. No Fulani herdsmen have been arrested, prosecuted and punished for the orgy of bloodletting they have visited on the land within the past four years.”

IYM while asking if there was a deliberate ploy to weaken the Eastern region by cleverly turning the masses upon their political leaders said: “Our governors are glibly titled “chief security officer” whilst the entire security apparatchik is consciously placed under the stranglehold and control of a particular region and section of the country.

“The conspiracy theory that a scheme to weaken our region by turning the masses against politicians from our zone by deliberately castrating them through centralizing the entire security architecture under northern Muslims, while naming them chief security officers, just to cast them as weaklings and traitors against the interests of their people, is fast gaining ground.

“The cloud is gathering, the rain may fall any day now. Those whose worldview is all about conquering and dominating others are about to set West Africa ablaze once more. We know the world is watching.

“This brings us to the quite annoying fake life of an 80 something-year old past head of state who prefers to go about praying for peace, as he steadfastly refuses to lobby other leaders to embrace restructuring of Nigeria, the only true route to reinventing and saving the country.

“This same man brought upon this country the calamity eating up the country today, when he created 12 states in May 1967, and unified the revenue collection and distribution, thereby effectively burying the 1963 constitution. His prayers remain meaningless as long as he refuses to be truthful.” (The Sun)

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