Ebonyi security consultant, Afikpo council chairman fault Reps on Ebubeagu

[From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki]

Special Security Consultant to the Ebonyi State government, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, has said that the South East regional security network stationed in the state, Ebubeagu, was not established to witch-hunt perceived political opponents.

According to him, the Ebubeagu Security Outfit has been in existence in Ebonyi State as Neighborhood Watch prior to the administration of Governor David Umahi.

“The Governor only rebranded the security outfit through training and retraining of its personnel and also backed it up with a law to avoid abuse of power in any form”, he added.

Emegha, who doubles as the Ebonyi State Chairman of APC, made this known, Saturday, in a statement titled; “Ebubeagu Security Outfit cum Outburst from Enemies of Ebonyi”, was reacting to a motion by the House of Representatives members from the state during plenary on Thursday wherein they accused the government of arming the group and using them for various extra-judicial and illegal operations in the state.

The motion was moved by Idu Igariwey(Afikpo North/South) and supported by four other PDP Lawmakers from the state.

The Lawmakers also alleged that the security outfit was being used to hound, intimidate and even eliminate opposition party members in the state.

But Emegha condemned the motion and admonished the lawmakers to be more constructive and productive in their criticisms of the Ebonyi State Government.

He challenged the lawmakers to bring their scorecard to the public rather than be envious of the numerous legacies of Governor David Umahi.

Emegha who noted that up to eight personnel of Ebubeagu had been killed in a very gruesome manner in the course of discharging their official assignment, said their professionalism and gallantry had helped to boost the security arrangement in the State, hence citizens could now sleep with their eyes closed.

“To start with it is very painful to record incidences  of killing irrespective of status because it is not good to take life and as such it is condemnable and the Governor has already done that. It is unfortunate that things like that will happen and the opposition party will like to catch in just to heat up the polity and discredit the government in power”.

“Despite the fact that up to eight personnel of Ebubeagu have lost their lives in the course of discharging their duties, the opposition party never had sympathy even on their families”.

“The rules of engagement of Ebubeagu is well spelt out in the law of the state embarking it’s existence. For instance if any of the personnel derails in eyes of the law, the person will automatically go in for it.

“If you get to the police you will see some bad eggs among them in their custody. For example some that engaged in extorting money from motorists. Some were in the past arrested, prosecuted, dismissed  and now at the correctional facility.

“The Ebubeagu law, 2021 also stipulates that every arrest made must be handed over to police within a time frame. The opposition party capitalising on the incidence that took place in Ivo Local Government Area to cause crisis is highly unacceptable and despicable. Just like what the ex former legislator Linus Okorie is doing.

“For the record, the formation of Ebubeagu makes it easier to tackle insecurity hence they are closer to the people thereby reducing response time to the barest minimum, the security expert opined.

Emegha further explained that “the Governor Umahi places premium on security because he understands that it drives development and sustainable growth of any economy.

“May I use this singular opportunity to advice the law abiding citizens of the State to continue to leverage on the atmosphere of conviviality already created by our wonder working Governor, Chief Engr David Nweze Umahi to better their lots and not to allow the Enemies of Ebonyi to distract them from achieving greatness bearing that the Ebubeagu Security Outfit is not a militia group that inflicts injuries and pains to people,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Afikpo South local government area, Eni Uduma China, has berated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Assembly Lawmakers from the state over a motion on the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday against Ebubeagu security outfit.

The lawmakers accused the state government of arming the group and using them for various extra judicial and illegal operations in the state.

The motion was moved by Idu Igariwey(Afikpo North/South) and supported by four other PDP Lawmakers from the state.

They are Livinus Makwe(Ohaozara,Ivo,Onicha), Sylvester Ogbaga(Abakaliki/Izzi),  Chukwuma Nwazunku(Ebonyi/Ohaukwu) and Edwin Nwonu(Ezza North/Ishielu).

The Lawmakers also alleged that the security outfit is being used to hound, intimidate and even eliminate opposition party members in the state.

But Eni debunked the allegations made against Ebonyi State government and Ebubeagu security outfit by the lawmakers, describing it as mischievous.

He stated this on Friday in a statement titled ‘only the guilty are afraid of Ebubeagu’, in which he noted that the motion by the five PDP Lawmakers from the state was informed by destructive opposition politicking.

Eni said: “I have observed the biased basis of the baseless motion by some dormant members of the House of Representatives on alleged insecurity in Ebonyi State.

“This infamous quintet have never sponsored any meaningful bill or participated in any worthwhile debate on the floor of the House, only to wake up from their inactivity to attempt setting fire on the security infrastructure of Ebonyi State in a bid to play the script authored in Lagos to sabotage the political standing of Engr. Dr. David Umahi.

“It is unfortunate that the PDP National Assembly members of Ebonyi State extraction have chosen to play politics with the efforts of the State Government to curb insecurity bordering on communal clashes, farmers/herdsmen clashes, kidnapping and other violent crimes in Ebonyi State, by criticising ‘Ebubeagu’, the State Vigilante Outfit.

“Ebubeagu is a creation of an existing law duly passed by the Ebonyi State House of Assembly and its mandate of complementing the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies in securing lives and properties are well spelt out in the enabling law”, he said.

Mr Eni said the Lawwakers lied by alleging that operatives of Ebubeagu are not professionally trained and wield AK 47 and AK 49 rifles alongside other dangerous weapons.

“The truth is that the vigilante group underwent diligent training in the use of arms which in all cases are limited to duly authorised pump action rifles.

“The group does not have any detention facility as it hands over any person suspected of committing an offence to the nearest police man or police station for investigation”, he added.

The Council Boss noted that Ebubeagu is an answer to the insecurity question in the South East and neither indulges in torture nor other illegal activities as alleged by the Lawmakers.

“If there is any substance in the litany of allegations catalogued by Igariwey and his fellow misrepresentatives, one would expect them to make formal complaints to the police or even to the DSS against the suspects involved, rather than pushing for the proscription of a group which is part of the solution to the rife insecurity in different parts of Nigeria”.

He noted that on the contrary, the security outfit has been under attack by hoodlums supported by opposing political elements leading to loss of lives of at least seven Ebubeagu operatives in recent times.

“Why did Iduma not mention it in the House? Why are they not complaining of lack of AK-47 and AK-49  licenses for Bandits, Anarchists and other Violent Criminals who are on the prowl.

“State vigilante has become a convention in Nigeria and discerning leaders have continued to support them to achieve their mandate of complementing police efforts in securing the people.

“We have ‘Amotekun’ in all the States of the South West Region and ‘Hisbah’ Police in the North and yet, resourceful National Assembly members from these States have never raised questions about the legitimacy, activities and modus operandi of these vigilante groups.

“Why are Igariwey and co against Ebubeagu? What are they hiding? They should come clean because only the guilty are afraid’, Eni said.

“That these agent provocateurs were given ample time to fly their dummy kite on the floor of a House under APC leadership is a testament of the ruling party’s tradition of fair play.

“Yet, such privilege must not be abused striving after wind and wasting national parliamentary time castigating their State vigilante instead of discussing federal questions.

“Why not discuss insecurity on a national scale? Why did Iduma Igariwey not raise motion of urgent public importance when gunmen attacked police stations and killed many including in his immediate constituency?

“Anybody antagonizing Ebubeagu must have a skeleton in his cupboard because an Ebonyi State without Ebubeagu will be a dystopia where only gunmen and their sponsors will survive.

“It is laughable that Sylvester Ogbaga is hand in gloves with the same elements who betrayed him from becoming House of Representatives Minority Leader, despite being a ranking member with over sixteen idle years experience. How ridiculous could people be just to get at one man?

On the declaration of a former Rep Member, Linus Okorie wanted by the State Security Council, Eni said the former Lawmaker should answer summons from security agencies and prove his innocence.

“I am aware that Linus Okorie has been serially disseminating seditious articles on Facebook and other social media. If he has been invited by any law enforcement agency to come and adopt his inciting lies, there is no point hiding.

“Making himself a fugitive and his co-conspirators reading resolutions in the Green Chamber cannot shield him from the provisions of the Cybercrime Act”, Eni said.

The Council Chairman, said the latest attempt by enemies of Ebonyi State to blackmail the Government will come to nothing as usual.

“The relevant authorities should investigate the people sponsoring the attack on Ebubeagu operatives and bring them to book.

“Criminals and their sponsors should get used to the fact that Ebubeagu has come to stay and will last for a very long time under the superintendence of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies.

“Hon. Iduma Igariwey  Enwo and co should spare the nation their myopic views and malicious resolutions which though are like the proverbial tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury but signifying nothing”, he concluded.