The State Chairman, Committee of Lawyers and Secretaries of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Anambra State, Izuchukwu Nsofor, has claimed that about 60 people were killed in Ihiala Local Council of the state between December 2023 and May 2024.
Nsofor, who disclosed this during an interactive session with Governor Chukwuma Soludo (represented by his deputy, Dr Onyeka Ibezim), said the Ihiala scenario represents what obtains across the state, adding that the security architecture in the state has collapsed.
He condemned the kidnap and killing of Peter Awa, a State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, asking the government to unmask the killers and bring them to justice.
Nsofor also lamented the recent abduction and subsequent release of Rev Fr Basil Gbuzuo, noting that incidents of crimes are not limited to locality and time, hence the need to rejig the security architecture for proactiveness.
According to him, insecurity in the state had taken its toll, leading to the kidnap and killing of Jude Oguejiofor, a lawyer from Orsumoghu in Nnewi South Local Council, attempted kidnap of Collins Chima, and abduction of Publicity Secretary of Idemili NBA branch, Chukeubuikem Azoro, who has been in the captors’ den since his abduction in March, at about 8:00 p.m.
He demanded the government’s immediate action to ensure his release unhurt, pointing out that his colleagues have been on the receiving end. He said, as a voice of the voiceless, NBA can’t keep quiet in the face of seeming total collapse of security and failure of the state government to protect life and property of the citizenry.
Earlier, Nsofor said the Association would take the next line of action to checkmate the government’s failure, and restore safety and security in the state after a one-month ultimatum.
Reacting, Soludo’s representative revealed that the government was not sleeping over the security threats but pro-actively operating underground. He dismissed the existence of ‘unknown gunmen’, saying the homes of criminals are known.
While appreciating the lawful and peaceful nature of the protest by the lawyers, the representative disclosed that security is a collective responsibility and expressed hope for synergy with the NBA to chart find solutions to the problem.
