‘Don’t Condone Criminality In Imo’

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. – Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has called on residents of Imo State not to condone criminality.

Oluyede made the call during a key stakeholders engagement forum on Thursday in Owerri, the capital of Imo state, on the theme “Taking the Nigerian Army to the Communities.”

The special guest of honour, Maj. Gen. Obinna Ajunwa, who represented the Chief of Army Staff, disclosed this while addressing the people.

According to him, it is dangerous to condone criminality as it impoverishes the people and does no good to anyone.

He appealed for joint efforts from locals, especially traditional rulers, to secure the state and Nigeria.

According to the Army chief, the danger of condoning criminality was that the people would thereafter suffer the consequences, saying “insecurity does no one any good.

What you condone is what you tolerate, and what you tolerate is what will destroy you”, Ajunwa said.

For his part, the Chief of Civil-Military Affairs, Maj. Gen. Gold Chibuisi, in his welcome address, said the meeting was one of the Army’s non-kinetic approaches to securing the nation and gathering insights from people.

According to him, the insecurity in Nigeria was dynamic as the criminals were people from Nigerian communities living in those areas, as opposed to when enemies attacked places and escaped, saying it is not easy to overrun communities because many people are affected.

Chibuisi said the insecurity in parts of Imo State was the war of traditional rulers to install peace in their domains, as they are supposed to know the criminals operating in their domains.

According to him, the forum aimed to gather ideas and suggestions from stakeholders that would help improve the Army’s operational activities.

The Army chief said, “Insecurity is an ill wind that blows no one any good because anything that you don’t address will become a cancer”, Chibuisi said.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers and Community Policing in Imo, Eze Emmanuel Okeke, said the forum could not have come at a better time than now, the state was recovering from the wave of insecurity and pledged that communities in the state will continue to collaborate with security agencies in the fight against crimes.

As acting chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Imo State chapter, Rev Uzoma Uzoeshi advocated seven measures to achieve peaceful co-existence and a crime-free environment in Imo State and Nigeria.

Uzoeshi called for strengthened community engagement, youth entrepreneurship to empower and reduce their vulnerability to crime, a strengthened justice system and legal framework, and equity and fairness.

Further, he called for enhanced surveillance and monitoring systems to check drug-driven and consumption groups, improved surveillance and monitoring, interfaith dialogue, and collaboration with stakeholders, including religious, traditional, and socio-economic groups, to leverage their influence in promoting peace and security.

The stakeholders summit was attended by several people, including other security agencies, traditional rulers, President Generals of communities, students, women groups, and several others.