Chuks Okocha in Abuja, Christopher Isiguzo, Gideon Arinze at Enugu, Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo at Umuahia, David-Chyddy Eleke at Awka and Benjamin Nworie at Abakaliki
South-east leaders, including governors, spiritual leaders, traditional rulers as well as the direction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, climbed by a meeting yesterday in Enugu and requested the Commissioners for Justice and Attorneys-General of those countries in the area to rapidly fashion the legal framework for the production and operations of the regional safety outfit, Ebube Agu.
They also committed themselves to work for the formation of state authorities so as to effectively handle hardship even as they introduced modalities for the take-off of their regional safety outfit with headquarters at Enugu, which they said will likely operate with law enforcement and other safety agencies in protecting property and lives from the South-east.
The meeting came a day after gunmen, numbering roughly 15 and forcing at a motorcade of 3 automobiles, followed by a tipper filled with used tyres stormed the state house of Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, at Omuma Oru East Local Government Area and burnt down the land and appurtenances.
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) yesterday joined different teams and people to condemn the assault on Uzodimma’s country residence, stating the Turks comprised a little league of persons hoping to damage Nigeria’s corporate presence.
However, the episode has prompted the authorities and other safety agencies to beef up security across the nation houses of Uzodimma’s coworkers in the area.
The South-east leaders agreed on the construction and operational methods of Ebube Agu and also to create an advisory board for its safety ensemble.
In a communiqué issued at the close of the assembly and signed by the Chairman of this South-east Governors’ Forum and also Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Dave Umahi, the leaders also led the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo,” Dr. George Obiozor, to instantly form two committees, for instance, South-east Peace and Reconciliation Committee to foster the peace and safety of lifestyles of their people and traffic; along with a plan and welfare plan to participate and protect the individuals, in particular those who are being adequately treated.
“It restated their commitment to state legislation banning open grazing from the South-east and advocated security agencies and the regional vigilantes to apply the ban in most of the nations,” the leaders said.
Addressing journalists at the close of the assembly, Umahi stated: “The discussion re-stated their adoption of some common joint safety outfit, Ebube Agu with regional headquarters at Enugu,” adding that they agreed to put up an advisory board to the outfit.
Umahi stated the meeting also announced its support for restructuring, the setup of state authorities and other domestic issues as discussed in the final National Economic Council (NEC) meeting.
He said that a committee was set up to work out the modalities and submit them to NEC in its second meeting.
Umahi stated they also agreed about the execution of different EndSARS youth empowerment programmes at the zone when possible.
Strike Uzodimma’s House, Threat into Nigeria’s Existence, Says NGF
The governors called for the arrest and prosecution of those attackers, whom they described as constituting a little league of men hoping to damage Nigeria’s corporate presence.
Additionally, the governors sympathised with their priests, Uzodimma, over the assault on his country residence.
“For people behind these offences, they need to understand that they don’t have the monopoly of violence.
They sympathised with Uzodimma and commiserated with those killed or injured.
The governors called on Nigerians to collaborate with security forces and the authorities in developing a civil, safe and protected environment for the taxpayers.
“All hands should be on deck to fish outside the perpetrators of the dastardly act as in our opinion, they constitute a little league of persons attempting to damage the corporate presence of the beloved country, Nigeria,” the governors added.
The police and other security agencies have beefed up security in the country houses of governors of their South-east, THISDAY’s evaluation has shown.
The safety beef-up followed Saturday’s assault on Uzodimma’s country house in Imo State.
The assault has been about the fourth from the country in the previous four months.
This was also to assaults on other authorities formations in the nation.
The military said in a statement that Ikonso Commander, that was supposedly the commander of this IPOB army, was one of seven men killed in the gunfight.
But, to forestall additional attacks on the houses of their South-east governors, safety agencies have intensified surveillance on the houses of their governors.
THISDAY gathered that there’s been increased security presence in the Umuobiakwa village at Obingwa Local Government of Abia State in which the state Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, hails.
The governor had in the weekend raised the alert that IPOB had passed departure sentence about the South-east governors.
“I’m under their fatwa today and a number of my brother governors. They say,’ If you visit them kill them” Ikpeazu had stated in Abuja.
Investigation revealed the Ururuka street (older Umuahia-Aba street ), in which his country house is situated was saturated in safety articles, including the military and the authorities.
At least three police stations were burnt throughout the state.
The spokesperson of the state police control, Mr. Geoffrey Ogbonna, a superintendent of police, said that the authorities would continue to give sufficient security to all taxpayers. He explained it wasn’t appropriate to spend the public space the plans that the authorities had set in place to checkmate hoodlums and other criminal elements.
THISDAY gathered that the border from Awgu from Enugu State into Uhuru was additionally siphoned off by security representatives and neighbourhood vigilante.
It was also discovered that the vigilante group of this nation’s Neighbourhood Watch additionally mounted checkpoints across the Umunga- Uhuru, the hometown of the Senate.
All streets around the New and Old Government Houses are barricaded and heavily guarded against stern-looking safety operatives.
Additionally siphoned off from the authorities would be the state police command headquarters, correctional centre, and also the Old Government House.
THISDAY gathered that there was a noticeable increase in safety in the governor’s country residence, as security employees weren’t only manning his gate but have moved towards a significant street that results in his residence.
The Anambra State Police Command has stated there wasn’t any panic that Obiano’s house could be assaulted as there was sufficient security there currently.
He explained: “We’ve beefed up security in the nation. That which we’re only attractive is that Anambra individuals will constantly volunteer data to the authorities because that’s the main reason behind the effort we have achieved.”
Asked to talk about the new approaches deployed, Ikenga stated it wasn’t supposed to be shared with all members of the general public.
“That’s our approach and we are not going to discuss it with anyone. What I will tell you is that there’s a distinctive force in the city that’s holding 24 hours surveillance from the country,” he explained.
In Enugu State, the authorities Also Have beefed up security in and around the country house of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at Orba, Udenu Local Government Area at the nation.
THISDAY gathered that the number of security operatives in his country home situated as old Enugu — Otukpo Road, was raised.
The analysis also revealed that the streets commuters used to ply across the Government House at Enugu, happen to be obstructed using an inscription: “Road Blocked.”
Additionally, the 2 lanes in Okpara Square into the Government House were blocked.
