Umahi Earmarks N40m For Victims Of Attack By Unknown Gunmen

By Mbam Ogodo, Abakaliki

Ebonyi state government has approved the sum of N40 Million to the affected households of Egedegefe and Umuogudu akpu Mgbo, who were attacked by suspected people of neighboring Agila in Benue State over agelong land dispute .

Governor David Umahi who made the pronouncement when he embarked on a visit to the area to personally ascertain the level of carnages during the incident said the money was to help cushion the effect of their losses.

He expressed sadness over the unfortunate incident of the attack and observed that the precarious situation in the Country calls for Internal protection against external aggression.

"I feel so sad, when I learnt of this, my spirit went down so low how life no longer means much in our country again. It is so sad that people will be sleeping in their houses and others will come and kill them for what they know nothing about.

“Our Security outfit is already in place, I directed a lot of them to be posted to this place, all that is remaining of Ebubeagu is for us to launch it at the Zonal level and to have our security gadgets there. Everybody will be protected when we make up our minds to protect ourselves, I have done everything possible for Agila people to live peacefully with us even when I was the Deputy Governor, every time they will be the one to attack us".

Umahi also announced the donation of the sum of twenty million naira to the Community to assist families of those who lost their lives in the incident and maintained that the Government would not fold its hands and watch the citizens being killed wantonly by bandits.

"We have a law in South East and in Ebonyi State in particular that there will not be movement of cattle from one point to the other. I am going to support you to immediately form a formidable vigilante and I want it to be people-oriented".

The Governor while reiterating that the South East and Ebonyi State have banned open grazing in the area, charged Council Chairmen to enforce the grazing law in their areas using the local vigilantes.

"If anybody is trying to destroy our crops, you must stop him with a proportionate means upon which he is trying to destroy the crops, if somebody is killing cows of herdsmen you must stop him with a proportionate means upon which he is killing the cows and no herdsmen with AK-47 is allowed in the land of Ebonyi, Mr. President has said it and I am saying it also, such people must be demobilized by all means, you can't carry AK47 to our land, it is an affront, it is an insult and it is not allowed, we must stop them, enough is enough".

Earlier while presenting an address on behalf of the Community, Senator Anthony Agbo said twelve lives were lost while 56 houses were burnt by the attackers and appealed for Financial and hu