Christopher Odamah
The lawmaker representing Ethiope East in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Chief Evance Ochuko Ivwurie, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently constitute an Investigating Panel or Commission of Inquiry to look into the incessant attacks on the people of his constituency by herdsmen, noting that they should be flushed as a result of the precious lives and property being lost to the unwarranted attacks.
In a petition, Hon. Evance Ivwurie, also urged the Inspector General of Police to carry out proper investigation into the series of attacks on his helpless people and bring the perpetrators to book and also proffer solutions that would forestall a recurrence of such killings and mayhem in Ovre R’ Abraka/Eku/Igun, Ethiope East Local Government Area of the State.
The Lawmaker also copied the offices of the British Prime Minister, United States of America, United States Secretary of States, Israeli Prime Minister, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Central Intelligence Agency and Foreign embassies.
The petition read thus, “It is with a heavy heart that I write to bring to your attention, the continuous deterioration of the security and unwarranted loss of lives and property in my constituency and to urgently seek your intervention to bring to an end the wanton killings, maiming and raping of my people by suspected armed Fulani Herdsmen at Ovre r’ Abraka/Eku/Igun in Ethiope East LGA of Delta State”.
According to him; “I am compelled to write you this letter in view of the fact that I cannot fold my hands and watch my constituents suffer avoidable deaths and injury or watch to see my constituency go up in conflagration as a result of the heinous crimes being perpetuated against my people by the suspected Fulani Herdsmen”.
He also wrote that; It is on record my people have reported that there are over ten thousand herds of cattle and about two thousands Fulani herdsmen armed with all kinds of sophisticated weapons including AK-47 and the sighting of Helicopter delivering supplies to herdsmen severally in our Ovre r’ Abraka/Eku/Igun farmland which I raised the alarm, after the security architecture made me the issue instead of investigating the serious and weighty allegation made by my constituents. The security agencies have not visited the areas (Ovre r”Abraka/Eku/Igun) as of date to investigate the claims and no meaningful steps have been taken to bring an end to the insecurity in the area.”
The Lawmaker added in the Petition that; “In my capacity as the Honourable Member Representing Ethiope – East Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, I have continuously raised alarm on the state of insecurity in my constituency. I have consistently brought same to the attention of the security agencies while presenting the photographs and details reaching me to them and the fact that our people who farm in Ovre r’ Abraka/Eku/Igun are daily terrorized, killed, kidnapped, raped, and those who managed to escape did with bullet wounds and lost their limbs. Yet all the security agencies appear to be disinterested or helpless for reasons best known to them”.
He named those reported or suspected to have been cruelly murdered, maimed or raped by the suspected Fulani Herdsmen at Ovre r’ Abraka/Eku/Igun in Ethiope East LGA of Delta State to include Mr Solomon Ejor killed on Monday April 24th, 2017; Mr Sunday Idama killed on Saturday 25th March, 2017; Mr Sunday Couple killed on 3rd January, 2017.
Others are; Mr Eyabigun Akpovena killed on 3rd January, 2017; Mr Philip Obayendo killed on 11th March, 2016; Mr Francis Okotie killed on 29th March, 2016; Mrs Margret Okotie killed on the 20th of March, 2012; Mr Adjeke Agodah killed on the 5th of January, 2016 and Mr Friday Ogefere’s young Daughter who was raped and physically assaulted on December, 2016.
Hon Ivwurie in his Petition added that there are other persons who were reported to have been murdered, maimed or raped in their various farmland in Ovre R’ Abraka in Ethiope East Local Government Area Of Delta State by suspected armed Fulani Herdsmen whose particulars are not immediately available at the moment.
While claiming that they were all killed in their farmlands at Ovre r’ Abraka in Ethiope East State Constituency by suspected armed marauding Fulani Herdsmen, the Lawmaker alleged that; “These homicides were reported to the Divisional Police, Abraka and they were never conclusively investigated and no meaningful outcome has emerged from the police investigation, if any”
He reminded President Buhari that Section 5(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) vested executive powers of the Federation on Mr. President and by Section 215(1a and b), (2) and (3), the appointment and control of the Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force lies with Mr. President, adding that Section 215 (4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) clearly restrain, restrict and limit the powers of the Governors to control the Nigeria Police Force. Also, Section 218 (1) (2) and (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) clearly empowers only the President with the command and control of the entire armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The lawmaker in the letter said that the move was necessitated by the almost daily attacks on his constituents and forceful take over of their farmlands, calling on President Buhari and the international community to constitute a panel to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the wanton killings, rapes and attacks in the area by these perpetrators.
