Traditional rulers in the South-East zone of the country have called on the Federal Government to take immediate steps to disarm rampaging herdsmen.

The monarchs stormed Enugu yesterday in solidarity with Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi over the attack on Nimbo community by suspected Fulani herdsmen. Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State also came calling yesterday, along with an entourage made up of the leadership of the Traditional Rulers’ Council of his state and some members of the state executive council. Obiano said his government and the people of Anambra State were solidly behind the government and people of their sister state in this crisis. Both group of visitors on solidarity visits commended Governor Ugwuanyi for the calibre of leadership he exhibited that worked to stave off further bl**dy crisis in the wake of the Nimbo attack.

One of the leaders of the South East Traditional Rulers Council and Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, who was also on the entourage of Governor Obiano, told the two governors that it was the view of the monarchs that the people of the geopolitical zone should gird their loins, and not allow this kind of attack to take their people unawares again in the future.

The Chairman, South East Traditional Rulers Council, His Royal Majesty, Eze (Dr.) Eberechi N. Dick, who led the monarchs to Government House, Enugu, urged the government to take the call for disarmament serious in view of the danger herdsmen’s menace poses to the sovereignty of the country.

They declared that Governor Ugwuanyi showed effective leadership in handling the recent attack on the people of Ukpabi Nimbo in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area by suspected Fulani herdsmen. Addressing the traditional rulers, Governor Ugwuanyi said their visit “is really very comforting and reassuring, and it goes to confirm our sense of brotherhood and the common grief that we share as a people.”