By INNOCENT OWEH
A group under the auspices of Conference of Igbo Elders for Peace and Development has criticized leader of Indigenous People of Biafra,Nnamdi Kanu, over an alleged formation of an illegal security outfit code name “South East Security Network”.
According to the Igbo elders forum, such move should be discouraged by governors of the South East region before it will snowball into crisis.
In a statement made available to the media on Thursday, morning, they called on the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo not only to denounce Kanu’s action but advise people of the region against falling prey to Kanu’s illegal activities.
They,however, called on the South East governors to lead the way in forming a security outfit that would protect that region, similar to Amotekun formed by authorities of the South West Region.
Also,they charged the “South East governors and business men in the region to pull resources together and form a security outfits like Amotekun or civilian JTF backed by law, which can be controlled and be effective.”
The Igbo elders said while they recognized the desire of the people to protect themselves through community policing given the worsening security problems in the country, it must be done within the country’s established laws.
The Group argued that Kanu’s action does not have their blessings and asked Nigerians to see his action as personal and not representing the region.
In the statement signed by Dr Festus Edochie, National President and Barrister (Mrs) Esther Amadi,National Secretary of the group, respectively, the elders said its attention to the inglorious activities of Mr Kanu was drawn to a trending video of some misguided youths armed with prohibited firearms and dangerous weapons.
” We observe with utmost shock and concern a disturbing video of a group of some misguided youths codename Eastern Security Network,bearing arms and circulating on the social media.
“In the said video, the group which claimed to be operating somewhere in Anambra State carried Ak-47 and other dangerous weapons under the guise of providing security against violent crimes being committed by herdsmen in the region.
“We condemn this group and its activities in its entirety and call on all South East governors and well-meaning Ndigbo to come out and condemn this act of criminality being sponsored by a self-appointed leader of a proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra,IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” they said in the statement.
The Igbo elders said,”While we recognize perfectly the yearning and desire of every Nigerian today for community policing and self-security due to the insecurity in the country, we insist that it must be done in accordance with the law of the land and by the right people who are legally empowered to do so.”
“No group or individual has the legal right to bear prohibited fire arms of that nature without the proper backing of the law .Hence we must all rise in the South East to not only condemn but also distant ourselves from this act without delay,” they added. (Daily Independent)
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