The Governors of the South East have said the insecurity in the zone has gone beyond the Indigenous People of Biafra and others agitating for a separate country.
The Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, said this on Thursday.
Umahi, in a statement on behalf of his colleagues, blamed criminals, including armed robbers, cultists and kidnappers, for the festering insecurity in the region.
The governors said the sit-at-home order issued by the IPOB if its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, was not released unconditionally on November 4, was illegal, adding they were already working with security agencies to ensure adequate security for the voters during Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State.
The Governors commended the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies for insisting that the Anambra State election must hold as scheduled.
Umahi said insecurity in the region had gone beyond IPOB and pro-Biafra agitators, adding that criminal elements were hiding under the struggle to commit sundry crimes.
Umahi said in the statement: “Whereas, we have identified some of the spokespersons of some of these groups and we have been engaging them to stop all forms of violence and illegalities in South East and allow South East leaders to address issues raised by them, we are, however, working with security agencies, our local security and our leaders to protect the lives of our people and to address all issues raised.
“We thank Ohanaeze Ndigbo for a good job they did through their various committees in raising various solutions towards addressing all issues raised by our young children. South East governors are studying their reports with the elders and leaders of the various South East states and very soon, we will be meeting with the Federal Government on these issues, including deploying political solutions in the case of Kanu which we have already initiated.
“We thank our religious leaders, Conference of Bishops and Archbishops of South East, the traditional institutions of South East and Christian Association of Nigeria of South East for their interventions and mediations on this matter. We will work with them to achieve the desired result for our people and Nigeria.
“We plead with security agencies deployed for Anambra election to secure the lives of our people in Anambra State while playing within the rules of their engagements.”
