By Pascal Ibe

Claim 

A user on the X platform, @biafra_daily claimed the current governor of Ebonyi State threatened any villager that retaliated against recent killings by suspected herdsmen.

Verdict

This claim is MISLEADING. The Ebonyi governor, while condemning the attack, described it as a flagrant disregard for the sanctity of human life. He only urged the people to shun reprisal attacks as the government will get to the root of the matter.

Full Text

An X user, @daily_biafra, has claimed that the current governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, threatened to arrest any villager who retaliated against the recent killings by suspected herdsmen.

In a post, the X user wrote, “Breaking News:If anyone retaliates against the Fulani k! lling in Ebonyi state, my government will arrest the person ~ Ebonyi state Governor Tells Nkalaha Community Not To Revenge Herdsmen K! lling Of 16  Igbos by Fulani sponsored jihadist”.

The post garnered over 1.5k views and more than 150 reposts, according to X analytics.

Many commenters blasted the governor over the alleged statement.

Background

Suspected herdsmen on Sunday attacked the Amegu Nkalaha Community in the Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, killing more than 10 people and burning numerous houses.

The chairperson of the Ishielu local government area, Ifeoma Agwu, also confirmed the attack, adding that the process of recovering bodies and taking them to the morgue is ongoing, making it difficult to determine the exact number of fatalities at the moment.

A community member, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that the cows were killed by members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the forest.

The source also stated that there has been tension in the community following the killing of the cows and that stakeholders have been working to prevent retaliatory attacks.

Verification

However, while condemning the attack,  Francis Nwifuru said the attack was a “flagrant disregard to the sanctity of human life”.

“I am saddened to learn about the attack on the people of Nkalaha of Ishielu local government areas which led to the death of innocent citizens of the State. The attack is a flagrant disregard to the sanctity of human life,” the statement reads.

The governor expressed worry over the “incessant” attack in the area, noting that the people of Ebonyi are peaceful.

The Governor appealed to indigens of the area to remain calm and avoid reprisal attack assuring that government will get to the root of the matter

The attack, which is not the first in the area, is worrisome and a source of concern to the government and people of the state,” he said.

“However, as a government that is determined to secure our people by protecting lives and property, we shall take decisive steps to unravel the circumstances behind the attack.”

There’s nowhere in the statement that the governor threatened to arrest any villager who retaliated against the recent killings in that statement.

See the same Ebonyi governor’s statement on the attack by other news organizations here and here.

Conclusion

It cannot be established anywhere that the Ebonyi governor threatened to arrest any villager who retaliated against the recent killings by suspected herdsmen. Therefore, this claim is MISLEADING.