The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), on Thursday condemned Monday’s attack on Ukpabi Nimbo Community in Enugu State, saying that “Nigeria cannot afford to graduate from Boko Haram insurgency to an unwarranted attack by unknown gunmen alleged to be Fulani herdsmen.”
The ACF in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim, commiserated with the government and people of Enugu state “over this unfortunate ugly incident.”
It called on security agencies to unmask the perpetrators of the heinous attacks, so as to end current “dangerous generalisation” of Fulani herdsmen as responsible for the attacks.
“The traditional Fulani nomads have coexisted peacefully with their host communities and have been grazing their cattle for decades all over Nigeria without any such attacks.
“ ACF is therefore disturbed and seriously concerned with this recent development.
“It therefore calls upon the security agencies to do a thorough investigation into the identities of the suspected gunmen in order to stop this dangerous generalization of labelling certain tribe or people of certain faith as responsible for these attacks.
“ This will cause mistrust and likely incite people of different tribes and faith who have lived together peacefully for decades.
“Criminals hiding under whatever guise and committing heinous crimes against innocent people and the state should be treated as such and in accordance with the law,” it stated.
The ACF commended the recent directive of President Muhammadu Buhari to security chiefs, to secure affected communities, arrest and bring the perpetrators to justice.
