Ikpeazu To Compensate Families Of Cattle Traders Killed By Unknown Gunmen In Abia

Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has promised to pay N2m each to the families of those killed at the Abia State cattle by unknown gunmen.

Gunmen had on February 16 invaded the newly relocated Abattoir market in Omumauzor Community in Ukwa West Local Government Area of the state, Killing seven persons and slaughtering over 70 cows.

The governor had also sent a delegation to condole with the families of the deceased in Gombe State.

Seven of the victims who were killed by the hoodlums were said to be indigenes of Gombe State.

According to the Acting President, Cattle Dealers Association of Nigeria, Yahuza Yusuf, no government from the southern part of the country had shown sympathy to the association like the Abia State governor.

“We asked him (Ikpeazu) to pay for our damages and he said he couldn’t pay for all our damages, but he gave us N150,000 as the worth of each cow and he promised to support the affected families to survive and additional N2m to the families, but that has yet to be paid,” Yusuf stated.

He disclosed that the association went to Abia State to bring back surviving members but the governor objected to the plan.

“The governor said the people were under his care; he gave us good attention and we stayed with him for more than three hours. That is the only governor who did that to us since all these things happened in the South,” said Yusuf.

Addressing newsmen on Tuesday, the representative of the governor and paramount ruler of Abriba, Kalu Ogbu, expressed sadness over the killings.

The royal father stated “I’m here to extend our sympathy and condolences to the people and the government of Abia State. The incident is sad and I don’t know how to explain it. There is no word to explain what happened as it was the handiwork of misguided fellows.

“Thank God that our governor has taken up the responsibility to make sure that those behind it are caught to face the full wrath of the law.”