An Anglican cleric, Rev. Godson Irozo, has told the Commission of Inquiry into the killing of people in Nimbo community how he escaped death during the attack by suspected herdsmen.
Irozo, who is in-charge of the Emmanuel Anglican Church, Onueke, Nimbo, made this known whien testified before the panel in Enugu on Wednesday.
According to him, my escape is an act of God.
The cleric led in evidence by counsel to the Nimbo community, Mr Mathias Nwande, said he witnessed a ‘horrific scene ‘ where the suspected herdsmen attempted to burn the family of another cleric alive.
“On the said day, we were just concluding the celebration of St. Mark the Apostle Day in our church when we heard shouts in the neighbourhood that herdsmen had invaded the community.
“I started hearing gunshots and horridly ended the service and as a cleric I retired to my house.
“When I came out of my house, I saw a group of people marching into the premises of Christ Holy Church International, which shares border with our parsonage,” he said.
Irozo said that he misconstrued the group to be members of the community Neighbourhood Watch and move toward their direction into the premises of Christ Holy Church.
“As I entered into the premises, I noticed they had surrounded the church building, locked up the priest in-charge of the church along with members of his family and set the building ablaze.
“They laid siege to supervise the burning of the building as well as know if any of the occupants would come out through the window.
“When I saw the scene, I shouted ‘Jesus’ and they turned, ran after me and I had to jump the fence and straight to the bush,” he said.
He said that when it became clear that security men from Enugu had arrived the community, he, along with others that were in the bush came out from their hideout.
Irozo said that on getting back to his residence, he discovered that the hoodlums had destroyed everything in their vestry and parsonage.
Another witness, Mr Samuel Eze, named Mr Agaba Benedict, an indigene of the community as an accomplice in the attack that left 11 people dead and several others injured.
Eze said that Agaba, who was arrested by the State Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) following an intelligence report against him over the attack claimed to have been privy to the incidence.
“Before the attack I saw Agaba in our community with some strange faces. When I asked him who those people were, he said they were his business partners from Nasarawa State.
“On the day our community was attacked, I saw the same people that were with Agaba among some of the herdsmen that killed our people,” he said.
Eze said that he accosted Agaba and inquired from him why he conspired against his people that led to death of many.
“I lost my elder brother, Mr Silvanus Eze, during the attack and his wife and five children have been suffering,” Eze said.