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By Iheanyi Chukwudi
Methodist Archbishop of Okigwe Archdiocese, Most Rev. Livinus Onuagha, has decried what he called militarization of Okigwe Senatorial District of Imo State that has led to some communities in the area being deserted.
Consequently, he has called on Imo State Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma and the leadership of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, to quickly intervene in the alleged military invasion of the zone especially three communities of Aku, Ihube and Umulolo, which according to him have been totally deserted following the activities of the military in the area.
He therefore, sent a save-our-soul (SOS) to Gov. Uzodimma and Ohanaeze to act quickly to save the people from further deaths and loss of houses and property.
The Archbishop in a viral video he recorded and which he confirmed to SureFootAfrik on Wednesday, alleged that military officials posted to the area in the wake of kidnapping and banditry were now moving from community to community burning down houses and chasing away residents and natives from their ancestral homes.
Onuagha disclosed that the people of the area now live in abject and terrible situation, noting that the development had compounded their plight after kidnappers and bandits recently made living difficult for the people, as it has turned thousands to refugees in their land.
Condemning in strong words the death of any military man in the hands of the bad boys in the society, the cleric said it was wrong and unacceptable for the military that have the intelligence to fish out hoodlums, to set communities ablaze in the guise of searching for some hoodlums.
He said, “The kidnappers have had their sway; bandits have had their sway, now militarization of the environment is what we are seeing."
“Now I want to sincerely request that our people should be saved. Ihube community is totally deserted, that place has become a ghost town and Imo State Government knows about it. Aku community has been deserted for long now, Bomber Jet had gone into this community and bombed that place two times, Helicopters are doing much harm than good in all these areas."
"I mean the military move from house to house burning down houses.I condemn in strong terms the death of any military man in the hands of the bad boys in the society. But the military have a strategy which they use in fishing out the bad boys in the society; does it call to burn down every house in the environment before you can fish out bad boys in the society?"
“Our people are in abject, terrible situation right now, I don’t know how we are going to describe it. More refugees are coming out more than what happened in the war."
“The military of Nigeria should take it cautiously; they should not be burning down houses like Boko Haram has been burning houses in the North. I don’t know whatever that is happening, is it a way of paying back the Igbo for what we have not done?"
“This time around you hear them speak asa wuta, the cars, asa wuta, the houses, asa wuta, the shops, asa wuta thinking that we don’t understand that language Hausa. Put fire, put fire, everywhere put fire. When you have put fire on all the whole places, people you supposed to guard and protect, what then is your work? Are you Boko Hara? What are you?"
The Archbishop very moody and near to tears further said, “We don’t know again what you are doing for us in this place, the other day, Umulolo community was almost sacked, everything in a community called Umukele, 19 houses were burnt, two aged women were pushed out of their houses and their houses were set ablaze, where will they go? We have gotten more refugees in our hands than we can cope with."
“Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, come and see, come on the spot visit of all these places and know what to do. I know that Imo State is made up of three Senatorial zones and now the South is gone, Okigwe Senatorial zone is gone and it is remaining only Owerri Senatorial zone. Are you governing only Owerri Senatorial zone?"
Please, we need intervention immediately, our people are dying of hunger, our people are dying of cold, no houses to stay in. people are running out of their ancestral homes and their farms are being looted. Are we in a war zone? If we are in a war zone please tell us that we are in a war zone.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo I don’t know why you are painting what is evil. You’re just trying to paint these things, I don’t know whether you are political, whether you people are trying to help your community, I don’t know. People should rise up and do what they supposed to do."
“This terrible situation is becoming unbecoming to our people. Oh! People are dying, oh! Situations have come from bad to worse in these areas. Aku community, we don’t have people living in that place again, Ihube community, we don’t even have people living there again and now Umulolo, why must you takeover Imo State, decimating them?"
“Why can’t the sons and daughters of these places rise up and tell the government, enough is enough. Our people should not run away from their ancestral homes just like that.”
Meanwhile efforts to get the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Nigeria Army, Enugu, Col Jonah Uhenakalu to react to the development proved abortive as he could not return call put across to him as promised before press time.
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