Following the unrest in the Northern parts of the country by bandits, a faction of the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, hailed President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, and the governors of the South-East for improvement of security in the region, noting that this remarkable improvement is a testament to the timely and decisive security interventions.

In a statement in Abakaliki, the Deputy President General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo faction, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, noted that the interventions through Joint Security Forces, spearheaded by the Nigerian Army, have successfully driven away the bandits, kidnappers, organ harvesters, and violent non-state actors that once plagued communities.

Isiguzoro said: “We have observed, with gratitude, that peace is gradually being restored in villages and towns across the region, allowing displaced citizens to return home and reclaim their lives ahead of the Yuletide season.

“As we celebrate these achievements, we should tighten our security operations to sustain the tempo, adding that the recent spike of terrorist activities and rising tensions in the North Central states of Kwara, Niger, Benue, and Kogi places our region squarely in their sights.

In light of these developments, Ohanaeze advocated for the immediate establishment of local vigilante groups across all 95 local council areas in the South-East, noting that this measure is not merely proactive but essential for consolidating the peace in the region.

Isiguzoro noted that Ohanaeze must urgently convey a pressing warning to the Federal Government and the governors of the South-East that there are ominous signs of potential incursions by Northern ISWAP bandits and Boko Haram terrorists.

He said: “The recent spike in violence, terrorist activities, and rising tensions in the North Central states of Kwara, Niger, Benue, and Kogi places our region squarely in their sights. As the Nigerian military continues to engage these elements in the North, intelligence suggests that the South-East and South-South regions may soon be viewed by these Northern bandits as their next refuge.”