The Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) on Tuesday, March 17th, 2020 gave herdsmen 48-hour ultimatum to leave the Ogboli-Ohaja community, in the Awgu Local Government Area (L.G.A.) of Enugu State. The group warned that they would not be held responsible for any outcome, if the failed to quit.

The ultimatum resulted from an alleged attack on a man identified as Kenneth Ude, on his farm by some suspected herders on Monday, March 16th, 2020.

Ude, 32, was said to be working on his cassava farm when the herders led their cows to graze on the land. When he attempted to stop them, it was alleged that the herders attacked him with machetes, leaving him for dead.

However, he was later rescued and taken to the Jideofor Medical Hospital, in Awgu.

The incident was said to have ignited tension, prompting some young men to go after the fleeing herdsmen by combing the bush.

While speaking to news reporters on Tuesday, March 17th, 2020 the Deputy National Leader of MASSOB, Chief Ikechukwu Ekwe, said the group would no longer tolerate murdering of innocent people by herdsmen in the axis.

We will fish them out wherever they may be in this community after 48 hours and handle them our own way. No more will we allow our people to be subjected to this level of maltreatment in their own soil. I do not think it is a crime for one to go to his farm,

he said

Ekwe, in his statement, said that herders had been destroying farmlands in the area by herders, stressing that all attempts to get relevant authorities to address the issue had proved futile.

The Enugu State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP David Ndukwe, said he had not been briefed on the incident.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.