Youths of Anambra West local government area, of Anambra State on Monday, staged a peaceful protest over alleged continued killings of farmers and raping of young girls in the communities that makes up the local government areas.
The Youths of Anambra West led by their leaders, accused the state government of paying lip service to their plight, threatening to embark on a reprisal attack if noting urgent was done.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the protest, Secretary of the Anambra West Youths, one Mr Ikechukwu Onuorah, wondered why they would be asked to be patient while they continued to be humiliated by visitors in their communities.
He said, “We are disappointed that the government is paying lip service to address the problem
“How can people be sleeping in their farm settlements and homes while visitors will attack, kill and cut off their neck? It makes us look as if we are weak.
“We are just respecting Governor Obiano that is why we have not confronted the killer herdsmen. We don’t want to create an embarrassing situation for him, but we expect him to act now.
“If they continue what they are doing, we will confront them and it will be bloody and I’m sure at the end of the clash no herdsman will ever come into Anambra West.”
On his part, the Coordinator, Mr Odikpo Madubueze said, “We don’t want to take laws into our hands, but Federal and State governments shouldn’t allow us to match them violence for violence, they have killed many of our people and farmers have deserted their farms.
“It’s only a few courageous farmers that go to the farm in groups now, unlike before they go alone and even at that, they have always run out of the farms claiming to be pursued by herdsmen.
“We cannot run away from our farms and villages because of people we decided to accommodate to do their cattle rearing business.”
The protesters, carrying placards, chanted songs, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Willie Obiano to intervene by stopping further killings in the area.
Some of the placards read, “Silent killings of our people by Fulani herdsmen our farms and villages still going on”, “We are running out of patience with the violent activities of Fulani herdsmen in Anambra West”, “Pushing us to the walls will bring mayhem, enough of the killings of our people.”