Southeast governors move to end IPOB’s sit-at-home

• IGP appoints new police commissioner for Anambra

Southeast governors rose from a meeting in Enugu, yesterday, and declared that they would do everything to end the ‘sit-at-home order of the proscribed Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).

The declaration was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting with stakeholders and made available to newsmen.

The meeting was convened by the Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, and hosted by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.

Reading the communiqué, Umahi said the governours were worried by the spate of insecurity in the region and condemned the continued ‘sit-at-home order.

Umahi, also Chairman of Southeast Governors’ Forum, said the governors, Southeast leaders and security chiefs condemned the spate of killings in the region.

He assured that the regional security outfit put together by states in the region, ‘Ebubeagu’, would be launched to give it teeth and laws passed in all the states to that effect before the end of 2021.

“The governors and leaders of the southeast condemn killings in the region and have agreed to join hands with security agencies to stop the trend.

“We, as well, condemn the ‘sit-at-home order by IPOB issued mostly by our people in the Diaspora who do not feel the pains.

“The meeting resolved that governors and people of the southeast will do everything within the law to ensure that there is no further sit-at-home and people are allowed to move about freely,’’ Umahi said.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), governors of Ebonyi, Imo and Enugu states and the deputy governor of Abia attended the meeting.

Others in attendance were Senators Ike Ekweremadu, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Tobi Okechukwu, Victor Umeh, clergymen and traditional rulers.

Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra was conspicuously absent at the meeting, neither was the state represented.

MEANWHILE, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, has approved the appointment of Echeng Ewori Echeng as the new Commissioner of Police for Anambra State. He takes over from CP Tony Olofu, who has been redeployed to the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, who made this known in a statement, said the appointment followed the incessant attacks on innocent individuals and symbol of state authority in the state.

He said the IGP had ordered the new Commissioner of Police to mobilise both kinetic and non-kinetic law enforcement and crime-fighting approaches to reverse the negative trend, reclaim public spaces from hoodlums and restore public peace in the state.