Leading civil rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has described weekend?s massacre by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Ebonyi State as ?an abominable and unspeakable shame on the Ebonyi State Government.?

It tasked Governor Francis Nwifuru ?to direct and ensure the quickest arrest, swift, decisive and immediate prosecution and legal sanctions of the killer herders.? HURIWA is proposing death penalty ?for these heartless mass killers? while also descending heavily on the police for failing to protect the victims.

The rights group said Monday in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko: ?We in the civil rights community are very unhappy that even with the presence of hundreds of thousands of armed soldiers, police and para-military bodies mounting road blocks all over South-east and constituting grave uneasiness to south-easterners, harassing, maiming and humiliating innocent passersby, the despicable armed Fulani terrorists are still unleashing venomous violence on Igbo communities. This is absolutely reprehensible and condemnable. The Governor of Ebonyi state needs to act swiftly to protect the good people of Ebonyi State and demonstrate to the citizens that his administration is not in functional slumber and inactive. It is totally incomprehensible that the military cracked down on the Eastern Security Network that effectively decapitated the Fulani terrorists that nearly overran the South-East of Nigeria few years back, but the same military is now unable to combat the resurgence of armed attacks of Igbo communities by dare devil Fulani terrorists.

?We condemn the police for failing to prevent this bloodshed and we call for severe punishment of the failed police commissioner because the fundamental duties the police owe Nigerians is law enforcement.

?One of the primary duties of the Nigerian Police is the enforcement of laws. This includes ensuring that citizens abide by the legal framework set by the government and the judiciary. The police are tasked with arresting individuals who violate the law, investigating crimes, and gathering evidence to support prosecution. They work closely with other parts of the criminal justice system, including the courts and prisons, to ensure that justice is served. The enforcement of laws also involves the regulation of traffic, the prevention of smuggling and other forms of illegal trade, and the monitoring of compliance with various government regulations. By enforcing the law, the Nigerian Police play a crucial role in maintaining social order and protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens.?

HURIWA recalled that Amegu Nkalagha Community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State came under heavy attack on Sunday morning, reportedly resulting in the killing of several residents.

The incident is believed to be a reprisal following the reported killing of cattle belonging to herdsmen in the area, an allegation that lacks verifiable evidence and is totally unjustifiable for the brazen act of depravity and terror violence unleashed on the Ebonyi people by armed Fulani terrorists.

Professor Ndubuisi Idenyi, a community member, while confirming the attack to the media, stated that the assailants stormed the village in the early hours of Sunday, unleashing violence that left many dead and properties destroyed.

?I don?t have the number of casualties right now. We are still tracking and bringing out the dead bodies, especially those killed in the farms,? he said.

Another source said that a pastor of a Pentecostal Church in the area was among those killed in the attack.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said the community members were not responsible for the killing of the cows.

?We did not kill their cows. The cows were killed by members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the forest,? the source said.

Chairperson of Isheilu Local Government Area, Ifeoma Peace Agwu, confirmed the incident.

She said: ?We are taking the victims? bodies to the mortuary right now.?

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