"Those who cause insecurity in Igboland are criminals, not Biafran agitators" - South East Governments
Governors of the five southeastern states have said that those causing insecurity in the region are criminals, not Biafran agitators.
The governors said this after their more than two-hour closed-door meeting at Government House, Enugu on Thursday.
Presenting the meeting were Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, his counterpart from Abia State, Alex Otti, and the host Governor, Peter Mbah of Enugu State.
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and Charles Soludo, his counterpart from Anambra State, were also present.
Speaking to reporters on behalf of the governors, South East Governors Forum Chairman Uzodinma, who read a statement issued after the meeting, said they were "firmly resolved to fight decisively against insecurity" in the region both individually and collectively.
He said the governors also decided to tackle insecurity in partnership with the federal government and other unnamed stakeholders.
READ ALSO:“We would like to state categorically that those responsible for the insecurity in the region and their sponsors are criminals and should not be considered as legitimate agitators (of Biafra).
“Therefore, upon their arrest, they (the perpetrators) should be treated according to the laws of the land,” he said.
The governors also announced that they had decided to hold a summit on security and the economy on a date to be announced shortly.
They commended the security agencies for their cooperation so far in addressing insecurity in the region and urged them not to back down at this time.
Security has deteriorated in the south-eastern Igbo part with frequent attacks by armed persons.
Attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.
Hundreds of people have been killed or injured in such attacks.
The Nigerian government has blamed the banned Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.
This is the first time that the five governors have met to discuss insecurity in the region after the 2023 general elections which saw the election of three of the governors – Messrs. Mbah, Nwifuru and Otti.
PREMIUM TIMES found that the meeting focused on how to stop the infamous Monday sit-at-home usually enforced by an IPOB faction in the southeast.
This newspaper also reported that the head of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, in late July, via a handwritten letter issued through Aloy Ejimakor, his special counsel, ordered a pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, to stop issuing sit-at-home orders in the area.
But Mr. Ekpa, who continued to issue the order in the region, called the letter “bogus” and argued that the illegal order would continue until Mr. Kanu spoke to him directly in Finland , a country in Northern Europe, where he (Ekpa) resides.
The pro-Biafra agitator leads Autopilot, a faction of IPOB, a militant group for an independent state of Biafra with...
Governors of the five southeastern states have said that those causing insecurity in the region are criminals, not Biafran agitators.
The governors said this after their more than two-hour closed-door meeting at Government House, Enugu on Thursday.
Presenting the meeting were Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, his counterpart from Abia State, Alex Otti, and the host Governor, Peter Mbah of Enugu State.
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and Charles Soludo, his counterpart from Anambra State, were also present.
Speaking to reporters on behalf of the governors, South East Governors Forum Chairman Uzodinma, who read a statement issued after the meeting, said they were "firmly resolved to fight decisively against insecurity" in the region both individually and collectively.
He said the governors also decided to tackle insecurity in partnership with the federal government and other unnamed stakeholders.
READ ALSO:“We would like to state categorically that those responsible for the insecurity in the region and their sponsors are criminals and should not be considered as legitimate agitators (of Biafra).
“Therefore, upon their arrest, they (the perpetrators) should be treated according to the laws of the land,” he said.
The governors also announced that they had decided to hold a summit on security and the economy on a date to be announced shortly.
They commended the security agencies for their cooperation so far in addressing insecurity in the region and urged them not to back down at this time.
Security has deteriorated in the south-eastern Igbo part with frequent attacks by armed persons.
Attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.
Hundreds of people have been killed or injured in such attacks.
The Nigerian government has blamed the banned Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.
This is the first time that the five governors have met to discuss insecurity in the region after the 2023 general elections which saw the election of three of the governors – Messrs. Mbah, Nwifuru and Otti.
PREMIUM TIMES found that the meeting focused on how to stop the infamous Monday sit-at-home usually enforced by an IPOB faction in the southeast.
This newspaper also reported that the head of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, in late July, via a handwritten letter issued through Aloy Ejimakor, his special counsel, ordered a pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, to stop issuing sit-at-home orders in the area.
But Mr. Ekpa, who continued to issue the order in the region, called the letter “bogus” and argued that the illegal order would continue until Mr. Kanu spoke to him directly in Finland , a country in Northern Europe, where he (Ekpa) resides.
The pro-Biafra agitator leads Autopilot, a faction of IPOB, a militant group for an independent state of Biafra with...
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