South East communities not cooperating with security agencies, NSCDC boss laments

Kanu not responsible for insecurity in region, say govs
The Commandant General (CG) of the Nigerian Civil Defence and Security Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has said security agencies are facing challenges tackling insecurity in the region due to lack of cooperation from members of communities.

Audi stated this, yesterday, during a meeting with the House of Representative ad-hoc committee investigating killings and kidnapping in Umunneochi Community, Abia State.

Represented by the Assistant Commandant General, NSCDC, Philip Ayuba, the agency’s boss insisted that part of the challenges the security agencies are facing in tackling the problem of insecurity in the region is lack of cooperation from members of communities where the acts were being carried out.

He said: “We found that almost everybody in that community has a weapon, and there is the willful disposition of many communities to purchase locally made arms. There is a lack of cooperation by the community as we try to get information from them and when our men go there for man hunting. They find it difficult to volunteer information about who are involved in criminal activities. Even within themselves, they are afraid of themselves.”

Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Taoreed Lagbaja, however, promised that kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities currently ravaging the South East, especially Isiukwuato and Umunnochi councils of Abia state will soon end.

HOWEVER, governors of the South East, yesterday, absolved detained leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, of the insecurity ravaging the zone, declaring perpetrators and their sponsors as criminals and not agitators.

The governors also resolved to meet with the Federal Government over insecurity in the region, adding that they are confident of achieving a lasting solution.

Rising from their first meeting, in Enugu, since the conclusion of the 2023 general elections, the governors also stated that they were working with the Federal Government to check activities of the Finland-based self-acclaimed Prime Minister of Biafra, Simeon Ekpa.

The meeting was attended by all the South East governors, Hope Uzodimma (Imo); Prof. Charles Soludo (Anambra); Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi); Alex Otti (Abia) and Peter Mba (Enugu).

Chairman of the forum, Uzodimma, who was responding to a question about what they are doing to ensure Kanu’s release to reduce insecurity in the region, stated: “I don’t know how you want to relate Kanu to kidnappings, beheading of human beings, burning of homes and palaces of traditional rulers. But if you have evidence, you may wish to approach us after this session.”

Uzodimma, who read the communiqué, stated that the governors were working out a programme on how to address the problem of insecurity in the region, stressing that they have resolved to hold a security and economic summit on a date to be announced soon.