Elder statesman and Chairman, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Elders Council – Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has called for synergy and collaboration between the newly floated South East Security Outfit code-named Ebube Agu and the IPOB’s Eastern Security Network (ESN) to tackle the current security challenges in the region. Iwuanyanwu, who spoke to newsmen in Owerri said that it is imperative for the Ebubeagu whose idea was jointly mooted in 2019 by the leadership of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and governors of the Southeast to establish an intelligence department. The elder statesman advised the two security outfits to share information with the South West, South-South and other neighbouring regions of the Southeast, and invest heavily in intelligence gathering to find out reasons behind persistent insurgence in the region. “The elders of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo will work towards getting the IPOB-ESN to work with the Ebubeagu because we want a situation where all hands should be on deck to protect the region from bandits and terrorists. I would not want to believe that IPOB-ESN is responsible for what is now happening in the South East because IPOB ESN is made up of Igbo and as such, they cannot just come and start killing their fellow Igbo men”. He insisted that the greatest threat to the nation’s security are the Boko Haram sect and the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWA). He also urged the federal government to set up a panel of inquiry to ascertain the whereabouts of the Air-force plane that recently disappeared and that crashed, lamenting that the nation appears not to appreciate the magnitude of the problem confronting her.

Ayatutu Lawyers Forum, a group of indigenous legal practitionals in Benue, has condemned repeated vengeful raids by Nigerian soldiers on Konshisha and other communities in Benue State. FIJ had reported how about 15 truckloads of Nigerian soldiers laid siege to Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue, following the killing of two soldiers by bandits. The soldiers had killed scores of defenceless civilians and displaced hundreds of women and children, in the name of fishing out the killers of their colleagues. After over one week of continuous attacks on the communities, the indigenous lawyers of the state have, in a statement, urged the federal and state authorities to caution the soldiers and stop them from invoking more mayhem. The group also raised concerns that the soldiers are building up again to launch fresh attacks on Sunday, a claim corroborated by Koshinsha indigenes who spoke to FIJ. “It’s true. We hear there is a build up of troops for another attack on Sunday,” one of them said. “They’re really reinforcing as if we’re in a war with them,” another added. READ THE FULL STATEMENT HERE: BENUE STATE SECURITY COUNCIL’S RESOLUTIONS ON THE KILLINGS AND THE NEED FOR THE ARMY TO EXERCISE RESTRAINT TEXT OF A PRESS STATEMENT BY AYATUTU LAWYERS’ FORUM We first of all, again condemn in strong terms the attack and killing of soldiers who have, as their names suggest, sold- their lives to protect ours. It is a heinous crime that must not be tolerated in any civilized society. We also sympathise with the Army and the families of the slain officer and soldiers. We want to enter a caveat from the onset that this is not an inflammatory statement but borne out of our constitutional duty as ministers in the temple of justice to ensure that the sacred provisions of the Constitution as regards the sanctity of life, the protection of same and corresponding first duty of government to ensure that lives and property are protected are not sacrificed on the altar of political expediency. We must also reiterate that the regime of human rights stands tall and is above any National and State legislation, and must be obeyed by all state and non-state actors at all times as enshrined in International Human Rights Instruments signed and ratified by Nigeria. These include: (a) The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (commonly known as the United Nations Convention against Torture (UNCAT), an international human rights treaty ratified by Nigeria on 28/6/2001. (b) The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Ratified by Nigeria on 29/7/1993; The ICCPR is part of the International Bill of Human Rights, along with (c) The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) ratified by Nigeria on 29/7/1993 and (d) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Sequel to the killing of soldiers by alleged Militia in Konshisha and the subsequent invasion, occupation and destruction of lives and property, including valuable foodstuff valued at Hundreds of Millions of Naira, The Tiv Professionals Group (TPG) led by Prof. Zacharys Anger Gundu issued a Press Statement in which they called on the soldiers to halt further attacks on the communities and on the Federal Government to constitute a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the atrocities committed by the military against the innocent civilians affected by the military attack with a view to compensating them. On our part, we similarly issued a widely circulated Press Release condemning the gross human rights violation carried out by the military in the course of revenging the killings of their officer and soldiers that amounted to collective punishment and disproportionate use of force. It has come to our attention that the Benue State Security Council met with the Minister of Defence and the Military High Command over the issue and issued a 10 point Resolution, which to our utter disappointment the issues raised by the Tiv Professionals Group and Ayatutu Lawyers’ Forum were completely ignored by the meeting, thereby tacitly endorsing the action of the military. This is in spite of the fact that Resolutions 3 and 9 recognized the fact that civilian lives were lost and properties of innocent civilians were destroyed by the military. There is a need to ask pointed, poignant and probing questions about this whole operation and whether we are answered or not, the general public must be made to know the situation that our people are in and that they are singled out for selective punishment when it comes to the issue of insecurity. Why is it that when it comes to banditry, the response of the Federal Government and the Military depends on the region of the Country? It is common knowledge that there is banditry in almost every part of the Country and the established pattern of response is as follows: (a) In the Kaduna-Zamfara-Kano axis where the Fulani bandits hold sway ransacking and burning whole villages, the Army publicly negotiates with the bandits and even pays them not to attack. Known figures like Sheik Gumi act as middlemen and liaison between the military and the bandits for the payment of ransom. (b) In Borno –Yobe axis, where sufficient funds have been pumped into the military, and in spite of the challenges in the way of acquiring weapons from Developed countries as a result of endemic human rights abuse by the military, some military helicopters, including 4 August AW109 helicopters were acquired between 2019 and 2020 to be used in combating Boko Haram, the Military has largely failed to defeat Boko Haram, and some arrested were later released and integrated back into the society. (c) In the Ogun-Oyo-Ondo-Osun axis, the military and the Federal Government are treating the Fulani bandits with kid gloves and rather threatening to arrest the locals who are bent on defending the lives of their children, women and the aged, from the bandits who have illegally occupied the forests from where they come out to kidnap, rape, and murder

The Igbo apex socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has described northern Nigeria as one of the safest places for Igbos to live in and do their trades. The chairman of the group in the 19 northern states, Augustine Amaechi, yesterday in Abuja, stated that the region has accommodated Igbos beyond measures, saying that accounted for their prosperity. Amaechi while acknowledging that there have been some skirmishes with their host communities noted that it is unavoidable as “it is expected in a developing economy.” On the call for secession in the South East, he said the agitation was due to lack of jobs and employment in the region; stressing that since Igbos are traders, they need the North to maintain their financial strength. “Our elders are saying that even if the youth are agitating and angry, we need a restructure of Nigeria and not a division of Nigeria because you can’t sell what you produce in your village to make big sales like in Alaba Market in Lagos.” On his part, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, George Obiozor stated that Igbo nation is not at war with anybody. “All we want is to be treated equally with other people. It is time for us to speak truth to power. We need peace and unity and they can’t be gotten through propaganda and transparency must be followed.”