The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has condemned the recent killings of residents of some communities in Ebonyi by hoodlums saying perpetrators should be punished.
The South East Zonal Chairman of Miyetti Allah, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki told the media in Enugu on Tuesday, March 30, that the incident was reprehensible and must not go unpunished.
Siddiki charged security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident; with a view to unmasking as well as punishing the perpetrators in line with extant laws.
The MACBAN zonal chairman appealed to the people of the area not to rush into hasty conclusions as regards the identity of the invaders until investigations were over.
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“We are not happy with this incident. This is heartbreaking and our hearts bleed. We condole with the families of the deceased and the state government.
“As an association, we appeal to the security agencies not to leave any stone unturned in unraveling the circumstances behind the killing and the identity of the killers,” he said.
The Miyetti Allah Chairman appealed to residents of the affected communities in particular; as well as the state, in general, to remain calm and not to take laws into their hands.
He said that herders in the area and members of their host communities had coexisted peacefully for years; adding that he would be surprised if such a dastardly act was committed by them.
He said that Nigerians were a people with a common destiny and should tolerate one another.
Hoodlums had on March 29, 2021, invaded three communities of Egedegede, Obegu, and Amuzu;located in the Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi and killed some residents.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ebonyi Command, DSP Loveth Odah confirmed the incident.
Odah described the invasion as a novel in the state; adding that investigation was clinically ongoing to ensure that such a thing did not happen again.
“The Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi has vowed to bring the perpetrators to book,” she said.
She said that it was surprising that such an incident could happen in Ebonyi; considering the tight security architecture in the state.
The PPRO said that the affected communities, though in Ebonyi, were closer to Enugu State; adding that the police would not let the matter die.
