Pascal Arogorn Ibe
The chairman of the Southeast governor’s forum and governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, on Wednesday, said that the Indigenous People of Biafra,(IPOB) were not responsible for most of the numerous attacks in parts of the state.
Umahi made this known while briefing journalists on some issues reached during this week security council meeting, held in Abakiliki.
He added that the hoodlums hide under the umbrella of IPOB to carry out their evil attacks.
The governor drew his view from the recent incident which happened on Tuesday at Onueke in Ezza South Local Government Area of the state where unknown gunmen attacked a bank.
A reliable source said that hoodlums who were armed stormed that area with seven motorcycles.
He noted that the attackers, after attacking a bank situated at Onueke, stormed the quarry clusters in Umuoghara in Ezza North LGA to steal and cause mayhem to traders in the area.
Umahi gave 72 hours to security operatives in the state to apprehend the hoodlums and prosecute them in accordance with the law.
“We are aware that there are some killings over the weekend; a policeman was killed, two army men were killed and I think one civilian and their killers are pure bandits.
“They do these killings and put it in social media that they are members of IPOB or ESN.
“Without standing for either IPOB or ESN, but they continue to deny that they are not into violence but for me, criminality is criminality and I have directed security agencies to crack down on all criminal activities in the state.
“And for those who did the killings, the security agencies must bring them to book within 72 hours, they must do that,” he stated.
Also, the governor imposed curfew in the border axis of the state which he said would start on Wednesday from 8 pm to 6 am.
He also directed natives doctors and traditional medicine dealers within seven days to register with the state government or face prosecution.
He maintained that the Commissioner in charge of Border Peace and Internal Security, the Commissioner for health and the state Commissioner of Police would be empowered with an executive order to arrest and prosecute any offender.
“We have agreed that all native doctors in the state and traditional medicine dealers must within seven days today register with the Commissioner for Border Peace, with the Commissioner for health and with the CP.
“There will be an executive order to this effect and anyone that is caught doing otherwise will be arrested and will be prosecuted,” he said.
Umahi, who also expressed dismay over the height of fake news in the state, stated that his administration would henceforth track down those actors of such information and prosecute them.
“We agreed that there is rampant fake news in Ebonyi State.
“Like today, somebody posted that herdsmen are in Ebonyi and they are killing people and schools started closing down, students and pupils started running helter-skelter. Is that what we will continue to tolerate?
“And so, I have directed whether you are in opposition, whether you are in agreement, whatever thing you are, you should be tracked down so that you should be going to court to prove whatever thing you are putting,” he said.
Again, the governor directed that all wake keep and social life such as night club in all parts of the state must end at 6 pm henceforth.
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