Ex-Enugu CP debunks bias in handling herdsmen-community clashes

Former Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr. Nwodibo Ekechwukwu has denied the allegation that Nigeria police was biased in the handling of clashes between herdsmen and their host communities.

Ekechukwu disclosed this in Enugu while testifying before the panel of inquiry into the killing of people and destruction of property by suspected herdsmen in Nimbo community in the state.

The commissioner said that available records show that no fewer than five herdsmen that engaged in unlawful activities in the state had previously been arrested.

“We have arrested some herdsmen in the past. Charges were preferred against them but we ran into jurisdictional cob-wed,” he said

He said that the Nigeria Police as presently constituted was a totally rebranded one and alive to its responsibilities.

On the Nimbo attack, the commissioner said that it was wrong to have suggested that police officers deployed to protect the community prior to the attack abdicated their duties.

Ekechukwu, who is now the police commissioner at the Nigerian Ports Authority, Port Harcourt, admitted that they got intelligence information leading to the attack.

“We are not laying claim to perfection, but there was no bias in the handling of the attack that led to the death of 11 residents of the community.

“The information we got suggested various areas of attack and all the officers did what they were supposed to do under operational guidelines,” he said.

The commissioner said that there were obvious challenges during the intervening time, but full deployments of manpower were made to contain the killing.

“We made deployments in various sectors of that community, but the suspected herdsmen operated at the fringes and our presence prevented them from advancing.

“There is no full security of lives anywhere, but nobody jokes with human life. That mischief makers succeeded in derogating human life does not diminish the commitments of the police” he said.

Ekechukwu said that preliminary findings revealed that the suspects used AK 47 riffle during the attack, but failed to fully deploy it in the killing for tactical reasons.

“We have not had information of herdsmen in possession of rifles and other deadly weapons and failed to disarm them.

“If I had not done what I was supposed to do to prevent the killing, I would have resigned on my own” he said.

Ekechukwu said that the state police command under him was proactive and succeeded in thwarting planned invasion of Agbani and Nike communities by herdsmen.

It would be recalled that Ekechukwu was the commissioner of police in the state during the invasion of Nimbo community and was transferred few weeks after the incident. The Police Area Commander in-charge of Nsukka, Mr. Bala Kuryus also testified at the panel of inquiry.