The Hausa Community in Anambra State has appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to protect its members from the marauding attacks of unknown gunmen in the state.

Secretary of the Hausa Community in Anambra State, Mahmud Imam, a lawyer, who spoke in a press briefing in Onitsha, yesterday, said they were appealing to the governor to intensify efforts to stop further killing of its people and any other person in the state in general.

Mahmud, flanked by other notable figures working with the Serikin Hausa in Anambra State, said that following the escalation of insecurity situation in the state and other parts of the country, their people in Anambra have been victims of the series of attacks by unknown gunmen operating in different parts of the state.

He said the attacks which started around October 2021 have resulted in the loss of lives and properties of their people worth millions of naira.

He disclosed that most recently, on April 18, 2022, the Hausa community in Anambra lost seven lives in Atani, Ogbaru Local Government Area in a location within the local government secretariat at night, following an attack by unknown gunmen.

Imam, who regretted the statement credited to the Ogbaru local government chairman, Chief Arinze Aworgu, who reportedly claimed that no life was lost in the incident, also clarified that the attack had no ethnic colouration as many Igbo have fallen victims of the unknown gunmen attack in the state, too.

He listed locations like Aguata, Nnewi South and Nnewi North, Idemili and Ihiala local government areas as places where the unknown gunmen have attacked their people and reiterated their support to the government and people of Anambra state whom he noted have been treating them with care and understanding.

“We have been living peacefully with our host communities within the state for almost 200 years without any serious misunderstanding. Therefore, we are calling on all relevant stakeholders to, as a matter of urgency, intervene and bring to an end such criminal activities of the unknown gunmen, because we are law abiding citizens going about our lawful businesses in the state. Anambra is our state and we do not have any other place to go” he stated.