Security
AN Enugu-based group, Igbo Oriental Think Tank, has urged state and federal governments to strengthen community and local vigilantes to help check the continuous influx of strange youths into the South East.
The Coordinating Secretary, Chief Kenneth Anozie, made the call during a press conference in Enugu on Friday.
Anozie noted that continuous influx of these able bodied youths into all nooks and crannies of South East was becoming worrisome.
According to him, South East is over populated already and that government is choked already as its resources could not cater for the endless streaming of full, able bodied men with no beneficial skills.
”These people having been classified as Almajaris come in long trailers, usually hidden among goods and cattle have become a source of serious concern to South East people.
”Some of these people who were apprehended by some local vigilantes cannot even speak English and have foreign passports of countries like Guinea, Niger and Sudan.
“This is not only the problem, many are clutching AK47, machetes and they ran into bushes when confronted.
“We want to use the medium to call on the federal authorities especially the security agencies to ensure that they are working for the people of Nigeria irrespective of tribe, religion, ethnicity or creed.
“We call on the security agencies to immediately halt the movement of these able bodied youths immediately as these acts are capable of breaking up the country if it is not checked.
“We also call on South East Governors, senators, leaders and other stakeholders to engage the federal authorities especially the security agencies to stop this export of suspicious and dangerous weapons which is not rampant to the southeast and other parts of southern Nigeria,” he said.
Anozie said that there was need for the authorities to work with community and Local vigilance groups to flush out these dangerous elements currently inhabiting inside bushes in various parts of the country especially in the south East.
He said that these period was a time for people, able bodied, herdsmen and other dangerous elements flocking into south east should be made to stay within there area, if not anything, to contain the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
”Research made on the casualties caused in the South East in March and April alone by these able bodied men are more than 16,000.
”More than 100 people have lost their lives while about 24 people had been kidnapped with more than 12 women subjected to sexual abuse,” he said.
Anozie called on South East Governors to ensure that community/local vigilance and security outfits, were properly trained and adequately equipped to be able to face the existential threats posed by these development.
NAN
– May 22, 2020 @ 18:35 GMT /
Tags: Security: Group wants governments to strengthen community vigilantes in South East
