Nigerian newspapers · 18 June 2020
Blame monarchs for herdsmen attacks on Igbo communities –MASSOB
Nigerian news from AbokiFX Rate
The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB has declared that traditional rulers in Igbo land should be held responsible for the killings of Igbo people by marauding Fulani herdsmen.
The Director of Information, MASSOB, Mr Sunday Okereafor, accused the traditional rulers of keeping silent while herdsmen continued to kill the people of the South-East.
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Okereafor stated this while reacting to the recent killing of a 65 year old farmer in Obudi Agwa in the Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State. He added that some communities in Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Anambra had witnessed a similar unfortunate occurrences in the past.
He blamed the repeated killings on the monarchs of Igbo land whom he accused of selling their voices. This he claimed they did by collecting a monthly stipend of N100, 000 from the Federal Government. According to Okereafor, the monthly stipend ensured that the Ezes would keep silent in the face of killings by Fulani herdsmen.
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Okereafor said, “In some communities in Igboland, a monarch will sit on his throne and a Fulani man will come with his cattle and pass through the palace of the traditional ruler. But they (Ezes) will not make any comment because they have compromised.
“You can imagine (a monarch) allowing the Fulani herdsmen to stay in his backyard in the bush; doing what? But we are telling the Ezes and the governors that we are aware of what is going on and their days are numbered.”
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However, the traditional ruler of Ishiala Umudi community in the Nkwerre Local Government Area of Imo State, Eze Joel Udenkwo, dismissed the allegations made by MASSOB.
Eze Udenko debunked Okereafor’s claims and stated that no Igbo traditional ruler was collecting N100,000 from the Federal Government in order to allow herdsmen herd their animals into their communities.
“The claim (that monarchs in Igbo land collect N100,000 from FG) should be discountenanced,” the traditional ruler said.
He also added that as custodians of the Igbo culture and tradition, it was unthinkable that monarchs would compromise the security of their communities for financial gain.