South East breaking News
How former Abia commissioner, Barr. Chikamnayo escaped death in the hands of suspected herdsmen
*Enugu state monach, Igwe Orji, not so lucky
Last Sunday, the 4th of July, a former Commissioner for Information in Abia and an illustrious son of Umunneochi, Barr. Eze Chikamnayo miraculously escaped death on the handa of people dressed in Fulani attire along Awgu – Enugu federal highway on his way to Enugu.
However, an Enugu State royal father and traditional ruler of Umu Obom, Agbogugu Autonomous Community, His Royal Highness (HRH), Igwe Sunday Orji and his wife were not so lucky as they were kidnapped few minutes later along the same area.
Barr Chikamnayo, who confirmed the incident on his Facebook page narrated the incident thus:
“Yesterday (Sunday), around 5:30 Pm as I drove from Isuochi to Enugu, the unthinkable happened. This was just before UNTH after Awgu junction.
“Suddenly, this hooded Person ( dressed in Fulani Regalia) jumped out of the bush in front of me and started shooting at my Car. Before I could make anything out of it another three appeared a bit in front and bullets started flying everywhere. I have been hearing about Fulani Herdsmen but what I saw yesterday is better imagined than experienced.
“The stories I have read on how these guys operate and THE EVER ABIDING PRESENCE OF JEHOVAH all worked in those few minutes. I was determined not to stop. My Staff, Prince, who was on the Passenger sit literally passed out. As the bullets rained on my Car, I kept speeding away.
“About one Kilometer from there, Just before UNTH and NNPC Mega Station was a Military Checkpoint. I heaved a sigh of relief and slowed down. I told the Army guy what was going on just behind their Post. He casually told me that they were aware.. that the driver in front of me just told them. I asked him why he was still standing there without making any move to save the vehicles behind, and he just looked at me blankly and waved me on.
“By now, my entire dashboard was full of red lights. The temperature of my Car hit the highest point on the meter. I slowly drove down to the front of NNPC opposite UNTH and pulled the Car out of the road.
“It was then it dawned on me what happened. There were over 20 bullet holes in my front fender. Most of these bullets hit directly at my Radiator and other things in front of the engine. The tyres which they were after, didn’t get a scratch. There were also two bullet holes on the passenger side of the Car. And few others around the Booth. Let God be praised !
“But in ALL these, NOT ONE OF THOSE BULLETS TOUCHED MY BODY AND THAT OF PRINCE, the boy with me. At the Military Checkpoint, we pleaded with the army people to alert others not to go in that direction.
“Nigeria is surrounded. The Government and people of Nigeria should better treat this as an emergency. It’s beyond Politics. Anyone can be a victim.
However, reports from Agbogugu Autonomous Community in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, has it that few minutes later, the same people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen attacked and kidnapped a traditional ruler of Umu Obom, Agbogugu Autonomous Community, His Royal Highness (HRH), Igwe Sunday Orji and his dear wife.
The incident occurred at about 6:00pm on Sunday 4th August 2019 on their vehicle driving towards Agbogugu, along the same Enugu/Port Harcourt expressway, back from their visit to Awgu community.
In the process, the traditional ruler’s vehicle was badly damaged with gun shots in the bid by the attackers to forcefully stop their mobility.
Unconfirmed report has it that HRH Igwe Sunday Orji and his wife were however forced out of the vehicle and taken away as captives through a bush path to an unknown destination.
It would be recalled that it was in the same territory that the Fulani terrorists killed a Catholic Priest on Thursday 1st August 2019, triggering off an unprecedented protest in Enugu by the Catholic Priests of Enugu Diocese, the following day. Several cases of Islamic jihadi attacks carried out by these criminals against innocent indigenous citizens recently, have unabatedly been heightened within Enugu and it’s environs.