The national president of Orluzurumee Youth Assembly (OYA), Prince Izunna Obiefule, has accused the Imo State government-sponsored vigilante outfit, Ebubeagu Security Network, of extra-judicial killing, maiming, unlawful arrest, and detention of innocent youths in Orlu, Orsu, Oru West, Oru East and other parts of Imo State.
According to him, while the atrocities were being meted out on hapless innocent villagers, government, and security agencies were mum about such activities, saying the local vigilante was doing the job of the police and judiciary within Orlu zone.
Obiefule made the disclosure while speaking during a report presentation and campaign launch, tagged “A Decade Of Impunity, Attacks And Unlawful Killings In South East Nigeria”, by Amnesty International in Enugu on Tuesday.
He called on the authorities to caution the vigilante operatives to stop being reckless and hostile to the villages, adding that such illicit community policing was very inimical to the porous insecurity situation in the state.
Further, he called on government to adequately equip security agencies to enable them combat crime and insecurity to a standstill, so as to restore security, peace and comfort in Imo State, particularly in Orlu senatorial zone.
OYA opined that adequate fighting equipment, gadgets and operational vehicles will strengthen security agencies to be proactive in fighting criminals who also use sophisticated arms and ammunition to unleash mayhem on the people especially those who are helpless.
Obiefule however regretted that government and the security agents were not doing enough to curtail crime, violence and killing in Imo State particularly in Orlu zone, otherwise insecurity could not have lingered.
While he frowned at the unlawful arrest, long detention, imprisonment, maiming and killing of law-abiding citizens, Obiefule called on government to punish any security agent, whether Police, Army or Vigilante who operated contrary to the law in carrying out security duties.
He said, “Orlu senatorial zone is the worst hit of the insecurity situation in Imo State. The Police and the judiciary should rise and caution the excesses of some security agents including the vigilante outfits. It is a thing out of place that law-abiding youths are being dehumanized and killed on daily basis in Orlu, Orsu, Oru West and Oru East especially.
“Security agents should be professional in dealing with the insecurity situation so that innocent people and their property would not be destroyed as violations of human rights in South East have grown beyond control”, he said.
Further, he listed greed, corruption, selfishness, wickedness by government officials as the major cause of insecurity in the region, adding that good governance and youth empowerment can contain and curtail crime and violence if they are prioritized.
Obiefule said, “For crime, violence and insecurity to reduce or be eliminated entirely in South East, government officials should shun greed, corruption, selfishness and marginalization and embrace good governance, purposeful leadership as obtained in a democratic setting.
“OYA, as the apex and umbrella youth body of Orlu senatorial district, is calling on security forces to improve in securing law-abiding citizens.
“Government should adequately equip security apparatuses with modern weapons, gadgets to be able to combat insecurity. Youth should shun crime and violence – organ harvesting, kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, banditry, terrorism and embrace hard work to become useful”, Obiefule said.
