Brethren,
The spate of violence in our land is assuming a different dimension entirely. Political thugs have become tools for settling interpersonal sqaubles as well. I have just spoken with the Ogohi of Ejule who has confirmed to me that there has been some inter-party fighting between the members of PDP and ANPP over an issue that seem too immaterial to mention.
The story runs thus.......Two young men belonging to these parties having a relationship with the same lady were at each other's jugular and before you know it, gun tottling supporters of either side went on a shooting spree that left a young Ibo chap dead rith there at the community center. This has lead to a lot o chaos with each party spoiling for a further
show down.
In the meantime, the Ogohi himself has reported the mayhem to the state commissioner of Police and the DPO of the need for an influx of Mobile Police men to flush out these miscreants. It is as sad as that.
Who knows the community that may be the next to experience this sad state of general insecurity in our land? The chief Security Officer of the state must do something fast or we shall have no alternative than to hold him responsible for the wanton destruction of life that has become the order of the day in in our land.
Rgds,
David Abutu.
--- On Wed, 17/12/08, Atâyi Babs
From: Atâyi Babs
Subject: [IgalaProject] Please give Anyigba peace: An Open Letter to Kogi State Governor
To: igalaproject@ yahoogroups. com
Date: Wednesday, 17 December, 2008, 10:34 AM
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Dr. Paul D. Ocheje
To: igala@yahoogroups. com
Sent: Tuesday, 16 December, 2008 21:36:50
Subject: Re: [IgalaNet] Please give Anyigba peace: OF the Sanctioned Destructio n of Properties and lives
I send my personal commiseration to Dr. Yakubu and all others on this forum who hail from, or have relatives at, Anyigba on this gory incident. Violence in the very heart of Igalaland! Well then, it is only a question of time before it radiates to other parts of the land. My recent visit to Igalaland coincided with the local government council elections. I watched with horror as youths, bedecked in what can only be described as accoutrements of war, rode past me on their way to my village on (I counted) 25 motor-bikes. When I got to Anyigba, I discovered that an even larger number of youths had taken over the main street of the town, chanting and threatening the political opponents of their candidate as the candidate drove in an open vehicle through the town. The language of political "discourse" in our land is fraught with violence, and Dr. Yakubu's appeal to the political authorities to curb the spread of lawlessness is not a moment too soon. One hopes that the authorities listen. I appeal to all of us on this forum as well to reach back to our relatives at home with a message of peace. Violence and poverty is an incendiary mix. Perhaps the poor can entertain hopes of redemption with hard work, prayers and luck, but in violence all hope is lost. Those who can hear, let them listen!
Paul.
From: "aauhm@netzero. net"
To: odekina@yahoo. com
Cc: igala@yahoogroups. com
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 1:59:59 PM
Subject: Re: [IgalaNet] Please give Anyigba peace: OF the Sanctioned Destructio n of Properties and lives
Odekina:
Thank you for your response. The attack you talk about, I am not aware of it and the information that I got from Anyigba did not mention such. Although, there was constant mention of sounds of gun fires which has become routine in Anyigba these days. Please could you shed more light on these explosions -where, who are the victims and who are the suspected perpetrators. It will be appreciated if we start actively reporting happenings in Igala land on this net -such will keep us informed of various atrocities that are committed against the Igala people.
I was also just informed that a house was vandalized along Egume Rd and speculations are that the victim entered into a deal and wanted to outsmart his associates. This need to collaborated too.
We have to be vigilant and should not be cowed by these thugs no matter who they work for.
Momoh Yakubu
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ----
Sorry Dr Momoh, you did not complete your story. There was an explosion that killed two people in Anyigba prior this event you are reporting, those behind it should be brought to book too.
'Ewn kitura, kakuma dukoche wa'
--- On Mon, 12/15/08, aauhm@netzero. net
From: aauhm@netzero. net
Subject: [IgalaNet] Please give Anyigba peace: OF the Sanctioned Destruction of Properties and lives
To: igala@yahoogroups. com
Date: Monday, December 15, 2008, 12:36 PM
It is not surprising that the political violence that has overtaken Kogi State is a sanctioned violent perpetuated by the people in powerful positions through their surrogates. This allegation have been attested to by different people in position to know about the hands behind these violent behaviors. Recently, the Ohinoyi of Ebira land came out openly to condemn the attitude of those in Lokoja who have made Ebiraland a land without peace the past years (4 +).
The violent have become so intolerable that even political and government personals are not safe in Ebira land. This was further confirmed by one of the Ebira chiefs in a recent piece in the Leadership newspaper. Further confirming the hands behind these violent was the arrest of the senior aide to the state government in Lokoja shortly after the tribunal verdicts were read in Lokoja when the said individual went to a hotel in Lokoja to destroy properties of people believed to not have supported the governor.
This political violent is by no means confined to Ebira land but it has been the hardest hit characterized by the looting, killings, and wanton destruction of properties. As the Ohinoyi stated "whole villages have been turned into ghost town and wilderness litered with burnt homes and properties'. The violent that is visited on Anyigba has not been given a wide publicity like the ones in Ebira land. The wide spread attention that those in Ebira land recieve is because of the fact that the Igala people are not speaking out.
We have been quiet for so long. The unfortunate thing is that Anyigba that is know for the vigilante activities -whereby anybody that is known to belong to the underworld are fished out and ask to leave the town in the past is condoning these dastardly acts. Through the vigilante (popularly called then Egwu Abudu) Anyigba was kept free of violent crimes and robberies. Now, people are openly in broad day light not only being deprive of their properties but of their lives without questions asked. This is happening to both descendants of Akogwu Apkele (foundation of Anyigba) as well as people that migrate to Anyigba. Yet vioces are not raised to condemn these acts of violent that being meted out to people. Anyigba used to be a place that when injustice is taking place people rise against it. I am stunned and surprised by what is happening on the streets of Anyigba today.
The orgy of violent that welcome the verdict of the election tribunal which has been metted against those that are known supporters of Prince Audu should be condemned by the government and the government of Idris should facilitate the prosecution of the people that have carried out acts of violent against anybody particularly the ones that happened in Anyigba in the past few days. The time for protection of these criminals is over and anybody that stands in the way of justice in these matters is not fit to hold any leadership position.
On the day of the verdict, properties of supporters of Prince Audu were damaged in Lokoja which led to the arrest of the aide to the governor. While the destruction of peoples properties were going on in Lokoja, at Anyigba similar acts were being carried out. These continued for days. Apart from the one I reported a few days ago where a truck was destroyed and the Igbo shop keeper was brutalized and money extorted from him -a few days later the same Igbo man was a victim of extortion and brutalization too by the same thugs.
Attack on Alhaji Salami: The same gang of thugs went to attack Alhaji Salami Abdulahi's home and businesses. At his home, houses were damaged, some burntand all the cars in his compound were destroyed -reports indicates that people that visit his home were all reduced to tears because of the extent of damage to properties. As if they thugs were not satisfied, they went to his business (filling station and trailer depot along Idah Rd) destroyed anything of value in the place. The thugs burnt the car of his brother in law who happened to be the chairman of Ofu Local government for intervening on the side of Salami. Others that suffered loses are so numerous to be mentioned here.
However, of particular interest is the pathetic story of Abu Onu Abimaje (a butcher) who was lucky to escape with his wife with the clothes on their back after their houses were set on fire -they lost everything. All these are said to be perpetuated by a Rambo -the chief thug at Anyigba. The tragedy of this situation is that the perpetuator are known faces at Anyigba. Why are they allowed to carry on like this. It is more worry when you have a descendant of Akogwu Akpele (maternal lineage) as the Governor of Kogi State and these guys are armed to the teeth to cause mayhem at Anyigba.
We are aware that no development has came to Anyigba since the tenure of this governor but the Anyigba people have had more than enough share of their political thuggery and violent visited on them. I appeal to the state governor on behalf of Akogwu Akpele descendant that he should rain these people in and let Anyigba develop naturally as God had wished it to do. These violent will limit the attractions that Anyigba has for business investments.
I will also appeal on behalf of those that their properties were destroyed that the governor allows justice to be served. The brain behind these dastardly acts be brought to book. This appeal is more relevant as most of the victims of this acts are not beneficiaries of government loots of any type. I know Salami for a very long time -as a mechanic apprentice and as an enterprising business spare part seller in the 1970s and as a petrochemical merchant and transporter (1970/80). I used to help him when he goes to Makurdi NNPC depot for his allocation then and also as a contractor with AADP then. This man made his money legitimately through hard work like the governor as a furniture manufacturer/ merchant and a hotelier before becoming the governor. These facts are known to the governor as I am sure he know Salami before the recent political activities. That is the more reason he must allow justice to be served in this case. He must call these boys to order and example must be made of the perpetuators of violent acts this time.
We are tired of Anyigba people being harassed and violated at will as is going on all in the name of politics. The politics that have not brought any meaningful development to Anyigba. So your excellency, the Anyigba people ask of nothing of you but peace. Call these thugs off the streets of Anyigba and we wish you all the best of your remaining term in office.
Dr. Momoh Yakubu
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