A group known as ‘Igbonnie’ has condemned what it called ‘insensitive killings’ in the Southeastern Nigeria as it proffers solutions to the menace.
The Diaspora Director, Prof. Marcel Ezenwoye condemned the development at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday.
According to Ezenwoye, the group is a cultural and socio-economic non-governmental organisation, focused on Igbo welfare and “Onye aghana nwaneya – be your brothers’ keeper” philosophy.
“The current trend of killing and kidnapping people using tinted SUVs, especially in Anambra State, must be condemned and stopped by perpetrators of such evil acts.
“A trend which was seen during the campaign that mid-wifed the election of Prof. Charles Soludo whose aides and orderly were unfortunately killed in the process, as well as Dr. Chike Akunyili who was gruesomely murdered on his way back from an award ceremony in Onitsha.
“Since then, the South East, particularly around Old Aguata axis where the current Governor of Anambra State hails from – Ekwulobia, Isuofia, Uga, Oko, Nanka down to Npkor, Obosi and so on have known no peace,” he said.
Ezenwoye also commended the good works that Soludo had already embarked on since his inauguration.
He enjoined the good people of the state to ignore some critics whose goal he said was to distract the governor’s attention.
The group. praised Soludo’s clean-up of the Onitsha-Ochanga-Nkpor-Iweka axis, as well as the campaign against touting in the state.
“These touts are jobless youths, who collect illegal taxes and are usually used by bad politicians to intimidate their perceived political opponents.
“Taxes collected goes into the pockets of their sponsors and crimes such as vandalism, stealing, gun running, kidnapping are all associated with this group, Agberos,” he said.
He also commended the governor for his efforts at restoring peace in the state, including abolishing the sit-at-home order by the proscribed Indigenes People Of Biafra (IPOB) and fishing out criminal elements and their sponsors, as well as making frantic efforts at ensuring the release of Nnamdi Kanu.
The don also hailed Soludo over the appointment of a 15-man committee to address the insecurity challenge in the state, IPOB agitations, with membership of the committee cutting across the five South-East states of Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.
Ezenwoye pledged to help the stakeholders in Igboland and in diaspora to mobilise Igbo sons and daughters to work with the government of Anambra.
This, according to him, is important to wipe out thuggery, vandalism and sense killings in the state and by extension in the rest of Igboland, maintaining that these killings were alien to Igbo culture.
“Putting bullets in the head of innocent victims are all foreign cultures, barbaric and very myopic.
“We are, therefore, calling for a new ‘Igboness’ in terms of character, orientation, behavioral and attitudinal change.
He said that Igbonnie was ready to provide an enabling platform for the training and re-training of all ‘agberos’ as well as repentant commercial sex workers in the state.
He sought partnership with all universities, especially those situated in the East to help provide training environment for the groups.
“For starters, Tansian University, Umunya, Paul University, Akwa and Anambra Polytechnic, Mgbakwu shall be used for the pilot scheme on entrepreneurship since their skill acquisition research and development centres are fully equipped with human resources and facilities.
“Igbonnie has come to bring peace, starting from Anambra,” he said.
The director also used the opportunity to call on Igbo sons and daughters both at home and in the diaspora to register en masses ahead of the 2023 Presidential election.
