In the once-peaceful region, repeated bloodbaths and destruction of private and public property have unfortunately become the norm. The perpetrators of the horrible crime had assaulted the offices and workers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as security forces in the region.
In the states of Imo, Anambra, and Ebonyi prior to the New Year, a number of persons were slain and numerous homes were burned. On January 2, 2023, heavily armed assailants ambushed the motorcade of former Imo State governor Chief Ikedi Ohakim, killing four of his police details. The attack occurred in the state's Ehime Mbano Local Government Area. Ohakim, who nearly fled, had his backup car ambushed, resulting in the deaths of four police officers.
On the same day that Ohakim was attacked, Ike Okolo, the President-General of Obosi Community in the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, was gunned down. Okolo was shot while sitting inside his SUV at a gas station. Similarly, at Nodu Okpuno, in Awka, Anambra State, four individuals were murdered in a community compound. According to preliminary reports, the attackers pursued someone into the compound before opening fire on the four unfortunate victims. The attackers reportedly fled after murdering the victims.
Two days later, criminals attacked the Uli Community in the southern part of Anambra State, torching the Anambra Vigilante Service (AVS) office in the community and murdering a member of the security organisation.
In Ebonyi State, the wife of Oyeku Kalu, commander of the Ebubeagu Security Outfit in the Afikpo-South Local Government Area, was murdered by gunmen. During the attack, the attackers set fire to Kalu's home. The states of Enugu and Abia were not exempt from these security breaches.
Prior to the recent horrific attacks, gunmen have on multiple occasions inflicted fear and damage onto the population of the South East. Ifeanyi Ubah, the senator representing Anambra South District, was attacked in Enugwu-Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government, Anambra State, toward the end of the previous year. Some members of his entourage, including security aides, were killed, while he escaped unharmed.
In practically every state in the region, INEC buildings and staff have been attacked, but Imo State has been battered the hardest. Specifically, INEC offices in Ihitte-Uboma, Orlu and Owerri had been destroyed on multiple occasions. The region's increasing unrest has impacted the gathering of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). If not addressed immediately, it is feared that the escalating unrest in the East will impede the 2023 elections.
We urge the federal and state governments to generate the political will to halt the escalating violence in the South East before it spirals out of control. Criminals and armed gangs should not be permitted to intensify the violence in the region further. The federal government must fulfil its constitutional duty to safeguard life and property. Therefore, the basic function of government is to ensure the safety and well-being of the populace. Under no circumstances should this responsibility be delegated to armed gangs. People must be assured of their safety within the zone.
The insecurity in the South East is a threat to the 2023 general election as well as the corporate life of the country. It also poses a grave threat to the socioeconomic well-being of the region's inhabitants. No person or group should be permitted to keep the region hostage. Therefore, we ask the governors of the five South East states to quit making empty statements about the region's security. They should set aside their political disagreements and come up with clear strategies to ensure that the zone is safe.
Henceforth, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies in the South East should be appropriately equipped and mobilised to effectively carry out their duties. Let the region's governors and other stakeholders collaborate to combat the escalating insecurity. Without sufficient protection, it may be challenging for INEC to hold the upcoming elections in the region. If elections do not take place in the South East, millions of eligible voters will be denied their right to vote. Let the government guarantee that no qualified Nigerian voter is denied the right to vote due to violence.
(Source: www.sunnewsonline.com)
