The House of Representatives on Thursday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently deploy the armed forces to restore peace and order in lsu Beachline Boundary Community, Arochukwu local government area of Abia state.
The House also urged the federal government to temporarily take over the disputed land pending when proper demarcation is done.
This was among the resolution reached by the house on a motion of urgent public importance moved by Nkole Ndukwe (Abia) at Thursday’s plenary.
Also, the House urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to immediately, without delay, deploy relief materials to the communities in addition to medical supplies and health personnel to treat the wounded.
The lawmakers also urged the National Boundaries Commission to immediately and without further delay clearly and unambiguously demarcate and define the boundaries of both communities to avoid further clashes.
“The House mandate the Committees on Defence, and National Security and Intelligence to coordinate the implementation and attainment of the above resolutions with the Presidency, the National Emergency Management,” it added.
Leading the debate, Ndukwe noted that violent communal conflicts have become perhaps the singular, deadliest threat to Nigeria’s national security.
“Saddened that between Sunday, February 2nd, 2020 and Monday, February 3rd 2020, communal clashes erupted in lsu Beachline Boundary Community in Arochukwu local government area of Abia State which has its boundary with Utuma in Cross River state in which the Utuma attacked the lsu Beachline communities of lheosu, Aba and Amachi.
The lawmaker said the clash has left many dead with the three villages along the lsu beachline boundary community completely razed down resulting in the displacement of community members.
“There is an urgent need to bring this conflict to a halt as the killings, destruction of property, displacements and humanitarian suffering, constitute crimes against humanity and, are already in genocidal proportions; they should not be allowed to further deteriorate,” he said.
Ndukwe said that further attacks must be prevented so that the people of the community will not, out of helplessness and frustration, be forced to employ every means necessary to defend themselves such that the situation will completely degenerate.
“Cognizant that under section 217 (2) ( c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), this National Assembly has a fundamental role to play in recommending the deployment of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for acting in aid of civil authorities to restore order.
“Every effort must be made to save the Isu people from these needless and brutal killings and unnecessary destruction of property and that this incident should be the last of its kind,” he said.
