The youth wing of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Saturday said it would drive out killer herdsmen from the forests in all the 95 local government areas in the South-East.
The President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the decision was necessitated by the killing of a Catholic priest, Rev Fr Paul Offu, by suspected herdsmen along the Ihe-Agbudu Road in Agwu Local Government Area of Enugu State on August 1.
He alleged that there were plans to kill more church leaders in the South-East, urging that steps should be taken to avert the impending situation.
Isiguzoro urged Igbo youths, all Biafra agitators and volunteer security groups to enter the forests to drive out killer herdsmen from the South-East.
He said, “We were shocked to read about the murder of a Catholic priest, Rev Fr Paul Offu, who was shot dead by hoodlums suspected to be the notorious and murderous criminal herdsmen along Ihe-Agbudu Road in Agwu Local Government Area on August 1, 2019.
“This is a calculated but provocative action with evil intent aimed at rubbishing the proposed establishment of forest guards and Community Neighbourhood Watch by the South-East governors.
“With the rising tension in the southern Nigeria, it is time for us to drive out all the remnants of killer herdsmen hiding in all the forest reserve areas across the 95 local government areas of the South-East. This is a clarion call to Igbo youths, all Biafra agitators and volunteer groups to do the needful across the bushes and forests in search of the killer herdsmen in the South-East to drive them out.
“These volunteer youths will serve as temporary forestry guardsmen until we pressurise the South-East governors to fund them. Their mandate will be to take decisive actions against any armed herdsmen found, and they should be handed over to security agents.”
The Ohanaeze youths also called on the Federal government, especially the office of the Vice President, to protect Christians all over the country.
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