A combined team of security agents have reportedly razed down residential houses in Iggah, an agrarian community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The attack, our correspondent gathered on Thursday, has thrown the community into chaos as some residents are still hiding in bushes.
Although no life was lost according to community sources, no fewer than 10 houses were destroyed, along with other properties.
Also, some residents sustained various degrees of injuries as a result of gunshots and chaos which ensued when the security agents shot endlessly in the community.
An eyewitness who spoke with our reporter on condition of anonymity, described the attack as unprovoked, even as he said it might be connected with recent killing of two policemen by hoodlums in the community.
“They came again and sacked members of Iggah community. At least 10 houses were burnt down. People sustained various degrees of injuries, they destroyed tanks and other household items. Our people are now afraid of their homes because of fear of attack,” the source said.
A cleric who identified himself as Fr. Nathaniel Ugwu in a social media post wrote, “Keep praying for us,” lamenting the attack which our reporter learned occurred on Tuesday night.
Fr Ugwu wrote: “Greetings in the Lord. Igga community is under attack again. The police and Army with about three armoured cars and many Hiluxes. They are burning down houses again and shooting at sight as I am writing this message.”
However, another source said it was connected to the killing of two Police officers by hoodlums in the community recently.
The latter source said “The government is trying to mop up arms which the members of the community have been using to engage in reckless killings in the community.”
Also in a video of the burning of the community posted on Instagram, a voice was overheard saying; “This is the action of the Nigerian military. They came to our house this night burnt down our houses. We don’t know what is happening. Our people in the farm settlements ran to us that they were attack in the settlements.
“Now what we see is the Nigerian military came to our place burnt down the houses. We don’t know what is the problem. We don’t know if we are to run for Fulani herdsmen or Nigerian military.
“We will be running for Fulani herdsmen and also be running for Nigerian military. I don’t know what is happening in Nigeria, I don’t know if we can continue like this, it is becoming too much. The world should come and help us. This is not how we should live as a country. We can’t be living like this. I don’t know if South East did anything exceptional, we are not criminals this is our home. We can’t runaway from our home. This is too much.
“Peter Mbah (Governor of Enugu State) I don’t know what you thought by saying that Fulani herdsmen should come and live in our place, then they will chase our people from the farm settlements the next thing is for Nigeria military to come to our place to burnt down our houses. This is not fair we didn’t do anything to Nigeria.”
