Nimbo killing: Life gradually returning to community, says leader

Life has begun to return to Nimbo community in Enugu State after its residents fled for dear lives following the killing of 11 residents by suspected herdsmen.

Its president-general, Chief Matthias Ekere, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Nimbo, Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of the state.

Ekere said that some of those that fled at the wake of the incident had begun to return.

“People have begun to move about everywhere doing their businesses,” he said.

He, however, said that the whereabouts of many were still unknown.

Also, most of the people had not got over the shock and trauma occasioned by the killing of their kiths and kin.

“Normalcy has returned to our community, but the trauma is still with us. We are begging those still outside to come back.

Ekere said that life had never remained the same as most of the returnees had found it difficult to feed their families and take care of their other needs.

He said that the relief materials donated by the town union for the affected families had finished.

The community leader then appealed to philanthropists and others that had pledged one form of assistance or another to redeem them.

Ekere thanked the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka for the pledge it made to assist victims and their families.

“The Catholic Church in Nsukka zone promised to take care of the needs of the victims and their families for a long time to come,” Ekere said.

Meanwhile, members of the commission of inquiry set up by Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi visited Nimbo, where the ogres took place.

The commission, led by its chairman, retired Justice Chukwuma Eneh, inspected the parsonage of the Christ Holy Church International which was completely razed down.

The cleric in-charge of the church, Rev. Samuel Chukwuma, narrated to the team how he and other members of his family escaped death.

“We had just finished our morning prayers when the assailants invaded our house. They locked us up, set the house ablaze and waited outside for the house to into ashes.

“I prostrated and prayed to God to save us. While we were inside and the house was burning, another pastor in the neighborhood who saw the smoke came to see what was happening.

“When the assailants who were still waiting outside saw the pastor, they ran after him and that was how we were able to force ourselves out and survived,’’ he said.

Chukwuma said that he lost his brand new jeep to the fire, adding, “I lost everything. Even this cloth I’m wearing someone gave it to me.”
Another resident of the community, Mr Ngama Benjamin told the members of the commission that his Toyota Hiace bus which he volunteered to transport people out of the community during the attack was burnt.

“I volunteered my bus to carry people out that early morning. When the suspected herdsmen saw the bus moving they ran after it and shot at it.

“Unfortunately, they overtook the bus, killed the unfortunate ones who could not run and set the bus ablaze,” Benjamin said.

NAN reports that the Area Police Commander in-charge of Nsukka zone, Mr Moses Kuryus, and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Uzo Uwani were among the delegation.