Enugu State Forest Guard, Police begin combing of forests for killer herdsmen
Considering the intractable jump in cases of killings and kidnappings linked to killer Fulani herdsmen who redise in forests in parts of Enugu State, the newly inaugurated Enugu State Forest Guard Commission (ESFGC) has resumed duties across major forests in the state.
Though they are carrying out their assignments with a strategic backup from the Nigeria Police who is expected to bring the fire power, the government has assured that every effort must be made to protect the people of the state from kidnappers and other criminals.
South East Business Hilights had earlier reported that about 1,700 able-bodied men had been recruited by the state government for the job of monitoring activities of Fulani herdsmen who cross-border from adjoining Northern state to wreak havoc in the state since after elections in 2015.
Statistics show that whereas several border communities had been sacked and houses burnt, more than 200 Enugu citizens may have been killed since 2015 till date.
Only recently, the wave of attacks have shifted to reverend clergies in the state as it is not yet up to a month when a reverend Father, Mr. Offu was shot dead in the presence of his house boy who later revealed that the culprits were Fulani herders.
Several security pundits in South East argue that “If Enugu fails to protect itself; the criminality will spread to other South East states and them to South South. So it is critical that the state government takes action now.”
