NSA Meets South East Governors Over Killings

National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu yesterday met with governors from the five SouthEast states led by Governor tHope Uzodinma of Imo State in Abuja.

The closed-door session may not be unconnected with the 14-day sit-at-home declared in Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Imo and Ebonyi States by a faction of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Uzodimma, who doubles as the chairman of South East Governor’s Forum said governors are collectively determined to restore peace to the region.

He said they were in Abuja to explore areas of collaboration with the federal government towards addressing the rising insecurity.

He said the governors came to offer to partner with the federal government to towards addressing the rising insecurity in the region.

Last Wednesday, the Senate condemned the Monday sit-at-home in the South East geopolitical zone and asked the Federal Government to collaborate with the Finnish Government and extradite a pro-Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa, for prosecution.

The upper chamber resolved to invite the Minister of Foreign Affairs (when appointed) and relevant stakeholders to carry out thorough investigation as well as bring other sponsors of the act to book.

The Senate also rejected a recommendation for IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu’s release, saying it would amount to sub judice as the matter of his release was still in court.

The illegal sit-at-home order is said to be enforced by a faction of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in five South-East states.

The unconstitutional order was declared in 2021 to press home demands for the release of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is being detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) and prosecuted for terrorism-related charges.