Following the resurgence of insecurity in parts of South East, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has asked the governors of the zone to immediately activate the Ebubeagu Security Network (ESN).
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation said it was disturbed by the spate of killings and kidnapping in the Isi-Uzo area of Enugu State and the Umunneochi axis of Abia State urged the governors to do the needful by ensuring the protection of lives and property in their states.
National Publicity of Ohanaeze, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia said recent happenings in the region have shown that it was not time for paying lip service to security hence it is time to activate ebubeagu.
No fewer than 15 bloody attacks had occurred in Ikem, Mgbuji, Ebo and Eha-Amufu areas of Isi-Uzo LGA of Enugu State in the past four months.
This is as Umunneochi, Abia State has become the most notorious den of kidnappers in recent times.
It was the axis that the Prelate of Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr. Samuel Kanu-Uche, was recently abducted alongside some of his clerics and assistants whereby N100 million ransom was paid.
Ohanaeze spokesman said a centrally coordinated security would be the most effective approach in arresting the spate of insecurity in the zone.
Ogbonnia said: “We will continue to urge the governors to be on top of the situation and do the needful.
Ohanaeze will continue to urge them. The point is that the issue of security outfit for the South East is unavoidable; it is something that has to be done. And that is why we believe that the only way to do it is to have a central coordination and to define the operational guidelines for all of them. There is no way we can avoid having a central security outfit for the South East.”
On the recent call by the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle for people to bear arms, Ohanaeze said that he was merely emphasising the need for decentralized security system in the country.
“What the Zamfara Governor said is like more emphasis for the need for us to have a decentralized security architecture in the country.
It has become clear that the federal security agencies can no longer cope with the rate of crime and general insecurity in the country.
In fact, in any federal system, we always have three or more levels of security outfit; the federal, the state and the local government, even places like the university ought to have their own.
We need three or four or more levels of security outfits in the country. For us to continue to believe that one federal security outfit is enough for the country is out of it.
That is why we believe in a lower level of security outfit, call it Ebubeagu or anything,” Ohanaeze stated.