The Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr Samuel Kanu-Uche, who was last Sunday kidnapped by some Fulani headsmen in Abia State, South East of Nigeria, and later released only after the payment 100 million ransom on Thursday spoke the Arise Tv.
The priest made more explosive revelations, which remarkably vindicates the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who have been accused of being responsible for the insecurity in the South East.
The IPOB members, which the Nigerian government outlawed their organisation in 20th September 2018, were recently accused of killing and beheading a Nigerian couple, who were visiting the South East for the purpose of going through their traditional marriage ceremony in the bride`s country home.
IPOB has severally denied any involvement in the dastardly act. The new revelations from the Methodist Prelate has now brought this very unfortunate disaster back into the front banner, as the Prelate by his responses to the questions posed by the Arise Tv interviewers seems to provide facts that supports IPOB denials.
Part of the priest`s responses in the interview includes:
“He (the kidnapper) said he was a Fulani from Sudan that about five of them were Fulani from Sudan; about two of them there were from Mali and one of them was from Sungai, but that they have lived in Nigeria for many years.
“So, I spoke to my bishop, the Fulani then spoke in Igbo that he lives in Umuahia, play football in Umuahia and his parents lived in Umuahia and his father was a cow dealer – a herdsmen but unfortunately the parents died leaving him and his siblings and that he’s the one fending for his siblings.
“What they did to me had nothing to do with IPOB; it was pure kidnapping by Fulani herdsmen because their cattle were very close and manned by some people that have nothing to do with IPOB and I’m beginning to suspect that these are the people who cut off people’s heads; they are not clearly Igbos, Igbos are not known for cutting people’s heads but they are Fulani children, born in Igbo land.
“You can’t differentiate them; they went to school here, their parents were big men cattle dealers, their mothers used to fry ‘akara’ we bought when we were young; so they grew up here and integrated themselves into the society.”
There is no doubt that the last may not have been heard about this matter, as we consider it as still a developing story.
The Nigeria Army spokesperson indicated recently that they will also speak with the Methodist Prelate over the kidnapping saga and his account of events, and especially regarding the disclosures, he has made.
The media also reported exclusively that the disclosure from the Prelate includes the suspected involvement of some officers of the Nigerian military officers in the criminal activities of the Fulani headsmen, which includes mostly soldiers of Fulani descent.
A Nigerian lawyer and human right activist, Williams Ukonu, a usual commentator on national users have on his Clariform column berated this ugly development, while also drawing the attention of the South East on the relevance of taking a stand that will ensure the next president of the country will be someone with capacity and willingness to frontally confront the monstrous nature of the Fulani headers and the dangers they portend for the region.
