Ohaneze Ndigbo, a socio-cultural organisation in the South-East blamed Imo State governor Hope Uzodinma for the cause of high rate of banditry the State is facing.
The group, specifically, pointed out the recent attacks on police facilities in the Imo State; not excluding the fateful prisonbreak that freed over a thousand prisoners.
In addition to the development, Chidi Ibe-led Ohaneze alleged that the invasion of Orlu, weeks ago by the military, upon Uzodinma invitation, was the sole cause of the security crisis.
This was contained in a statement signed by the group’s Secretary General, Okechukwu Isi guzoro. He said: “The uprising of the waves of violence and banditry in Imo State, within the last 48 hours, is a revengeful mission and well cordinated reprisal attacks against the Governor of Imo state in response to the governor’s acceptance of millitary actions and airstrikes against peaceful Eastern Security Network and IPOB members in Orlu recently.
“Ndigbo had previously warned governor Hope Uzodinma of his impulsive actions against ESN in appeasement of his paymasters.
“Consequently, Imo state governor should now accept the full responsibility of violence perpetrated in Owerri in the early hours of Easter Monday.
The group added that the operations of the perpetrators indicated a cordinated attack in almost all the police stations in Igbo lands, early hours of each day, with the aim of accumulating ammunitions for the possible full scale banditry in the Southeast, and the released suspects in the Owerri correctional centre raid were said to be those who were recently incarcerated by the Imo state governor in Orlu crisis.
However, the Ohaneze Ndigbo urged the perpetrators to ceasefire and engage in dialogue to resolve conflicts and disputes.
On the way forward, the group said, “Governor Hope Uzodinma should tender unreserved apologies to Ndigbo for his non consultative military actions in Orlu crisis and incarceration of innocent people, and rescind most of his unpopular anti-Igbo decisions and policies.
“Southeast governors must establish the regional Southeast Security Network to engage the youths to defend our territories without further delay with full backing of the law.
“The ENDSARS FG Youth Empowerment funds should be shared equitablely in all the 95 LGA’s of Southeast.
“Anti-open grazing laws must be uniformly enacted in all Southeast Houses of Assembly and signed into law by Southeast Governors without further delay.
“Southeast governors should de-proscribe the activities of IPOB and persuade FG to remove the terrorist tag on them.
“Southeast will gradually become another Northeast as our political leaders, opinion leaders, religious leaders keep quiet seeing evil prevail, before us. This is the best time to uproot this menace growing up in the East.”
Lolo Ijeoma Njoku reporting, Obinwannem News
