Herdsmen Seek Protection from Enugu Police, Allege Killings of Members

*** Man arrested for killing sex woker
Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu

The Meiyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), an association of cattle herdsmen in Enugu State, has pleaded with the Enugu State Commissioner of Police to offer them protection in conduct of their businesses in the state.

The herdsmen alleged that they and their cattle were under server threat by some host communities in the state, alleging that three of their men were recently killed.
This came as the state police command announced the arrest of one Emmanuel Ezeugwu for allegedly killing a commercial sex worker in the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, who announced the arrest of Ezeugwu in a statement, said that he had last Sunday at about 3a.m picked the commercial sex worker from a red light zone in the metropolis and took her to his No 16 Onuasato, Ogui Enugu resident to have fun.

According to him, Ezeugwu, a final year student of the Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Enugu and a native of Ezimo in Udenu Local Government Area, had bargained to pass the night with the deceased sex worker on a financial understanding of N4,000 on “a day-break show.”

“Ezeugwu disclosed that before then, he was drunk to his fill and they all went home and that on arrival and because it was already getting late, he now demanded that they set into the business of the day,” Amaraizu said, a demand, he said the lady turned down as she allegedly requested that she first finished a substance she was inhaling to tune up herself for the business of the day.

“The accused maintained that after several hours of his pressurising her and without any answer, he slept off and woke up before 3a.m and immediately demanded that the accused person leaves the room since the aim of bringing her appeared to be counter-productive.

“At that juncture according to the accused person, the deceased resisted the move and allegedly warned the accused person to beware as she will not succumb to any person’s threat or whatsoever and later headed for a kitchen knife that was seen in the kitchen of Ezeugwu’s room after allegedly biting the accused.

“Ezeugwu further revealed that fight suddenly broke out between the two of them and as the deceased tried to stab him to death with the kitchen knife, he overpowered the deceased and the kitchen knife went straight to the deceased stomach and finally he stabbed her on the neck region which sent her to the world beyond,” the PPRO said.

Amaraizu said when Ezeugwu noticed that the girl had died he wrapped her body, hid her in his room and was fleeing to Lagos when he was apprehended by the police based on information from the Neighbourhood Watch who the people living in the vicinity called.

Meanwhile, in a protest letter to the state commissioner of police by the South-east zonal chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki and two others, a copy of which was obtained by THISDAY late yesterday, the herdsmen implored the police commissioner to bring the killers of their men to book. They gave the names of their members allegedly killed by suspected local vigilante in Ezeagu local government as‎ Lawan Bello, Yahaya Manu and Ishiaku Manu.

“We implore you for an order to effect arrest of the persons involved. If actually they are neighbourhood watch they will be punished according to the law,” pleaded the herdsmen.

When contacted, the state Commissioner for Human Capital Development and Poverty Reduction, Obinna Mbaeke, said the state government had received the complaint and has waded into the matter.

Mbaeke assured herdsmen of the security of lives and property of every resident in the state, noting that government is working toward resolving reported impasse between herdsmen and host communities.