To Combat Rising Insecurity, Nigeria’s Southeast Governors Set Up ‘Regional Police’

Governors of Nigeria’s southeastern states have resolved to establish a joint security vigilante outfit for the region code named ‘Ebube Agu’ to tackle growing insecurity in the area.

The governors also demanded that the recently appointed acting Inspector-general of Police Usman Baba puts a stop to the influx of the IGP monitoring units into the region and to allow State’s Commissioners of Police as well as the state and zonal commands handle their cases.

The five governors stated this in a communique issued at the end of the first Southeast security summit and attended by the governors of the five southeastern states and heads of the security agencies.

Some states in the region particularly Imo state have witnessed an increased spate of violent attacks on police stations and custodial centres.

“The meeting resolved to maintain a joint security vigilante for the South East otherwise known as Ebube Agu,” the communique issued at the end of the summit read.

“The meeting appreciated the formation of South East joint security outfit code named Ebubeagu, headquarters in Enugu to coordinate our vigilante in the South East.

“South East Governors requested the Acting IGP to stop the influx of IGP monitory units but to allow cps and state and Zonal commands to handle their cases.

“The governors “strongly and unequivocally condemn terrorism and banditry in any part of Nigeria, particularly in the South East. The meeting strongly condemns the burning of police stations, violent attacks on custodial centres with the unlawful release of inmates, and the killings including security personnel, natives/ farmers and headsmen.

“The five South East states are on the same page with the federal government on the issue of security challenges in the country. To this end, the meeting makes it absolutely clear that the South east will stand resolutely with the federal government to fight terrorists and bandits to a finish

“That the political leadership in the South East has resolved to bring together all the arsenals at their command, as one united zone, to fight and flush out criminals and terrorist from the zone.

“The summit resolved that to achieve this, there is a need to galvanise all the relevant stakeholders in the south east, the political class, the business community, the bureaucrats and the intelligentsia to provide all necessary support to security operatives in the five south east states to ensure total success in the fight against criminality in the zone.

“Meeting agreed that open grazing has been banned and security agency should implement the ban.

“The meeting encouraged a peaceful coexistence of farmers and headers to allow Governors to succeed in the fight against criminality.”

By Abel Ejikeme

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