Governor’s of the southeast zone, Tuesday raised the alarm over rising insecurity in the region.
The Igbo Governors led by Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State particularly voiced their concern over killings and kidnappings which occurred in the last few days in the zone including the kidnap of a Catholic Bishop in Imo state.
In a communique issued after their virtual meeting Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr David Umahi, the Governors noted that two days ago, two Policemen were killed in Imo State with their riffles stolen by criminals.
Umahi while addressing newsmen, explained that all the five southeast Governors attended the virtual meeting.
“We are very much worried, it is not those that are not from the Southeast that is doing it, it is our people that are doing it. They want to cause panic, they want to cause disunity in this country. We want the leaders of the southeast to rise above political sentiments to speak out and to condemn this act because should the security people act, the cry will go everywhere”, he said.
The Governors further condemned a viral video from Ebonyi state that claimed that Herdsmen residing in the state were being attacked and forced out of the state by their host communities, describing the video as falsehood and an attempt to cause panic and disunity in the country.
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“We are so much worried about the killings and kidnappings that are going on by our people in the southeast; killing our people and then killing security agencies and the situation is being heightened by the activities of very desperate politicians. There are so many desperate politicians in all the political parties that are so desperate for power and they have aligned with some bandits in the southeast to destabilize the nation.
“For instance, two days ago in Ebonyi state, the Fulani settlement that decided to move Taraba State and retain some of the family members in Ebonyi and of the cause, the man is still here and a politician as we have intelligent gathering went to put a voice and said that Igbo are chasing away the herdsmen from Ebonyi state. Such a video went very wide and was causing panic in other parts of the country and that is very much uncalled for.
“I want to public to discountenance this and the Governors’ forum condemn this and we will want the leaders of the southeast to rise to speak against this kind of attitude and against messages that tend to divide us and put our people in danger outside the southeast. We want them to do this because the security agencies as they have informed us will not continue to fold their hands where they are being killed and their rifles collected from them”, said Umahi.
The Governor said that the Governors of the zone will do everything possible to ensure that everybody leaving in the Igbo land irrespective of the ethnic group were protected, adding that the Governors have expanded security committees in the zone to tighten security.
“We will do everything possible as Governors of the southeast to ensure that all our people are protected; the security agencies and all the people from other regions that are living with us. We have agreed that the southeast security committee will be expanded, we have agreed that this year we are going to have a common patrol. Our vehicles are going to be the same, the uniform will be the same and we will do this for our vigilante and we will continue to work with the people of Southeast to give them greater protection”.
He said the Governors will meet in Owerri, Imo state capital on 9th of January to further deliberate on their quick responses and actions to secure the lives and properties of the people work for greater unity of the country.
