For the Southeast, a deluge of trouble has over has overrun the entire landscape. People now live in palpable fear. The insecurity has taken a heinous turn with the current focus of the region’s traditional rulers. This is the height of sacrilege.
Hardly a day passes without one traditional ruler or another coming under attack. Some of them have been killed in the process. It is quite distressing that the natural rulers and custodians of the customs and traditions of Igbo land are no longer safe in their domains.
Nobody seems to know those behind the attacks, their grouse or motive. What is certain, however, is this is no longer funny, as the Southeast, traditional rulers have suddenly become endangered species, with none knowing who the next victim would be.
The catalogue of the attacks is benumbing. For instance, the traditional ruler of Umuezeala-Ama ancient kingdom in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, Eze Aloy Igwe, was penultimate Saturday abducted by gunmen.
This is coming on the heels of the kidnap last Sunday of two other monarchs in the state, Acho Ndukwe and Paul Ogbu whose palaces were also torched.
While Ndukwe was rescued 24 hours later, Ogbu’s whereabouts remained unknown until his corpse was discovered.
The latest victim was reportedly kidnapped at the Nkwo Umuezeala market square. It was gathered that his abductors, who were wielding guns intercepted and forced him into their vehicle and sped off.
The Igwe’s whereabouts have not been ascertained since then.
This latest attack is one too many, as it now seems that traditional rulers are being targeted for yet unknown reasons.
In separate incidents on December 9, the traditional ruler of Atta Ancient Kingdom in the Njaba LGA, Edwin Azike, and Damian Nwaigwe of Atta ancient kingdom in the Njaba LGA, were also kidnapped.
Nwaigwe was released a couple of days later but Azike was not that lucky, as his corpse was also later found where it was dumped.
The traditional ruler of Achi Mbieri in the Mbaitoli LGA of Imo State, Henry Madumere, was on November 19 abducted in the Ikeduru area enroute to a public engagement.
The octogenarian, who is also the father of Eze Madumere, erstwhile deputy governor of state regained his freedom six days later.
On October 19, the traditional ruler of the Etekwuru Autonomous Community in the Ohaji-Egbema LGA, Kenneth Okereke, escaped death by the whiskers in the hands of gunmen. However, his palace and official vehicle were razed by his assailants.
Also on the same day, gunmen invaded the Njaba LGA council Headquarters where traditional rulers were meeting and opened fire on them.
Two of the monarchs died on the spot, while two others went into a coma and were later revived in a hospital.
The spate of attacks on the traditional institution has raised serious concerns among the populace, as nobody is in the know of what the motives of the attackers could be.
Similarly, on April 7, Eze Charles Irogebu of Umuezie community in Nguru-Aboh Mbaise LGA and his cabinet chiefs were abducted by gunmen, who waylaid his convoy, as they were returning home from a traditional marriage ceremony at Ehime Mbano LGA.
Considering how most of these attacks are carried out, it becomes doubtful if the attacks are carried out by Igbo people, even though ESN/IPOB was once accused. There may be some ulterior motives, playing out because if Igbo traditional rulers are not safe even in their domains, the entire Igbo land is in evident trouble.
With the dimension the attacks and killings in Igbo land are taking, fifth columnists may actually be at work to destroy the South-East region.
The Njaba attack on monarchs, who were in a meeting of Njaba LGA Council of Traditional Rulers gives pointer to the suspicion that some clandestine moves to crush the South-east. It is alleged that before the attack, policemen deployed to secure the monarchs suddenly withdrew under the guise of being recalled to the state capital by their commander, thereby leaving the monarchs vulnerable and the attackers had a field day. Why such a decision was made, if true, is subject to conjectures.
Although police claimed that the Chairman of Njaba, Local Government Area, Hon. Emeka Iheanacho, did not notify them about the meeting in writing, the council boss punctured the claim, saying the police were notified and actually came around initially before withdrawing suspiciously.
According to him: “In order to ensure security of lives and property during the meeting, I called one ASP Nwankwo, who leads the Njaba LGA Police Operation Search and Flush Team on October 18, 2021, and requested the presence of his team at the Council Headquarters the next day, for the above programmes. He agreed to come with his team.
“The police also came to the Council Headquarters on October 19, 2021, with his team as agreed. But shortly before the commencement of the programmes, the leader of the police team, ASP Nwankwo came to my office and informed me that their Commander instructed them to return to Owerri.
“I refused to allow them to go in order to avoid jeopardising the security of lives and property in the environment, but they insisted on going. They finally left and told me that they would be back before the next two hours. The HOD, Works, of the council, Mr. Emeka Uneanya, and a vigilante security officer of the council, Mr. Ernest Okorochukwu, were witnesses to the argument between me and the police team leader in my office.
“Our meetings and programmes, however, commenced as we hoped on the return of the police team, as they promised. But three hours after the commencement of the meeting, we did not see them. I then called the team leader to know why they had not come back, but he told me that their commander had not yet released them.
“Our usual monthly meeting with the traditional rulers, which happened to be the last programme for the day, was about to be concluded when we saw some armed men approaching the council hall where the meeting was taking place. The gunmen on reaching the door to the hall, opened fire and shot at some of us, as we were scampering for safety.
“Unfortunately, we lost two traditional rulers, Eze Anayo Durueburuo of Okwudor Autonomous Community and Eze Samson Osunwa of Ihebinowere Autonomous Community who died on the spot. Three traditional rulers also sustained gunshot injuries.”
It is unthinkable that the police withdrew their men because they were not informed in writing and most curious that the authorities seemed to have glossed over this controversy without getting to the root of it. There must be a reason the police personnel withdrew their presence when it mattered most. The inexcusable action of the police ought to be properly investigated.
In fact, the Police owe the people an apology for reneging on the discharge of their responsibility and failing them when they were needed most.
Yet another victim of assault on Igbo monarchs was the traditional ruler of Ihekwuenu Autonomous Community in Aku, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, Igwe Christopher Okwor. He was allegedly assaulted by security agents. The monarch was reportedly beaten and dragged to an unknown location by men suspected to be security officers.
The monarch’s wife, Martina, was also allegedly beaten by the officers, who had allegedly invaded their residence in Umakashi, Nsukka, by scaling the fence and forcing their way into the building by breaking down the burglar proof before beating up everyone in sight.
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, condemned the attacks on the traditional rulers, describing them as ugly. It added that destroying of human lives was alien to Igbo society and calls for deep concern.
The Ohanaeze spokesman, Alex Ogbonnia, said: “I doubt if a true Igbo can purposely kill a traditional ruler. Be that as it may, Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by Ambassador Professor George Obiozor condemns such dastardly acts in strongest terms. We urge the government of Imo State to do everything possible to bring the cowardly assassins to book. This will surely serve as deterrent to others.”
However, in one bold attempt by security operatives, some 30 suspected kidnappers and criminals were arrested during a raid, by a joint security team, on kidnappers’ camps in Orsu Local Government and Uli community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State on Monday, December 13.
People wonder at the fate of the much-touted Ebebeagu security outfit of the governors. The five South-east governors had announced that the region had set up the security outfit to tackle security challenges in the region. It is obvious that the outfit fizzled out the very day its formation was announced.
Obviously, the Ebubeagu Security operatives would help immensely to reduce all these weird security hiccups but it is inconceivable that the governors are paying lip service to the outfit quite unlike the vibrant Amotekun of the South-west.
Indeed, the South-east was known to be the most peaceful of all the six geopolitical zones. Unfortunately, it tumbled too steeply into uncharacteristic violence that is unknown to the people.
The question on many lips is who actually are the unknown gunmen? Or should one describe them as ‘ungun known men’? In other words, known without arms whom the enemy is trying to tar black? Could IPOB be behind these attacks; for what reason?
Truly, at a point, the pro-Biafra group was angered that the traditional leaders were not speaking out against the parlous plight of the Igbo, especially their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. But the monarchs have been speaking out and even attracted the irreverent comments by President Buhari’s controversial Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Lauretta Onochie, prompting Ohanaeze to petition the traditional ruler of Onitcha Olona in the Aniocha North council area of Delta State, Obi Christopher Uzu Diji, and the kingmakers of the community to caution her. Many doubt if IPOB could really be architect of these heinous attacks.
However, IPOB cannot exonerate itself from the carnage going on in Igbo land. It may not be directly involved but it set the pace and tone. Now people hide behind it to perpetrate all manner of violent or criminal acts and heap them at its doorstep, rightly or wrongly.
Actually, before the onslaught on traditional rulers began, IPOB had raised the alarm that it had uncovered a plot that the monarchs were being targeted for attack by unidentified hoodlums. It warned in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, that leaders and youths should be on the alert in order to avert such imminent evil.
The President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nsukka Local Government Area chapter, Prof. Damian Opata, reportedly said: “The vision and strategy of IPOB which uses language that borders on terror and terrorism, created the background for the insecurity we are facing in the South-East. Some of the mayhem were committed in their name but they created the environment for it.”
The time has come for the group to rethink its strategies. It is doubtful though if it has capacity to do that now the matter seemed to have been hijacked by sinister forces.
The Bishop of Ihiala Diocese, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Israel Okoye, a Professor of Political Science at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, got closest to the reason the country is up in smoke, blaming it on godlessness.
According to him: “We are living in a time of suffocating anxiety and increased threats to life, dehumanization and murderous conflicts. Nigeria is agonizingly enmeshed in insecurity. It is the primary responsibility of every government to ensure that security of life, job, property, etc is guaranteed in its area of governance.”
It was also reported that Prof. Opata, opined that those gunmen who killed traditional rulers at Njaba, Imo State want to destroy Igbo society.
“Killing of traditional rulers in Igboland by unknown gunmen is terrible and very unsettling. Attacking sacred institutions that guard society is very bad and condemnable.
“Those who are behind the dastardly act should stop it because it would not pay them anything to waste human lives. Whichever group that carried out the attack is trying to destroy Igbo society,” he reportedly said.
There is no gainsaying the fact that Igbo land is collapsing; only a united and concerted action by all can save that from coming to fruition. Securing this unity, unfortunately, is arduous because of the different forces pulling in different directions. Some of these forces are political and, as a matter of fact, it would not be out of place to say some of the killings and unrest are orchestrated by political opponents, who want to ‘spoil show’ for those in power with whom they have axe to grind. However, must the political war be soaked in the blood of the innocent?
The leaders of the South-east, whether political, religious, men and women of influence and affluence must rise to tackle this evil trend frontally. This is especially so because after the hoodlums finish killing the traditional leaders, or political opponents, they are most likely going to turn their gun on another set of people and on and on till the South-east becomes a wasteland.
Perhaps, that is where the traditional institution should weigh in, especially now they are worst hit. The perpetrators of this evil or instrumental to inviting the calamity are not ghosts but human beings living among the people. Communities must rise up against such people, including the dealers and consumers of ‘mkpurummiri’, a fuel for the recalcitrant hoodlums. The monarchs must remain in their sphere of calling and avoid partisan politics, as this exposes them to ridicule and harm. Politicians in power must also desist from making them political potty in their hands, as this does not only minimize the office but is also sacrilegious.
