Says state is under siege

Members of Enugu State House of Assembly have asked the state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to urgently tackle worsening insecurity in the state.

In a motion for urgent public importance, moved by the member representing Oji River Constituency, Jeff Mbah, during plenary, yesterday, the House asked Ugwuanyi to setup and equip joint force of military, police, forest guards and neighbourhood watch to tackle the menace.

Mbah recounted incidences of violent crimes, which were committed in various communities in recent time, especially the murder of a former Commissioner, Gab Onuzulike, and his brother at Oji River.

He said: “The surge in insecurity in the state calls for urgent and decisive action.
Unfortunately, despite huge resources the governor has deployed to ensure safety of life and property in the state, the unthinkable has continued to happen.

“Recent murder of former Commissioner of Rural Development, Onuzulike, alongside his elder brother, the killings in Igbo-Eze North and Isi Uzo councils are examples.

“If nothing drastic is done, there is the tendency that the fear of insecurity might deter many from coming home for Christmas and New Year, as well as engage in other social activities without molestation.”

Leader of the House, Ikechukwu Ezugwu, while condemning the spate of crime and criminality in the state, said: “What obtained in Afghanistan many years ago is what is happening in Enugu.”

He pointed out that ownership of small arms and weapons by youths in communities gave rise to crime.

In his own contribution, the member representing Nkanu West Constituency, Iloabuchi Aniagu, suggested that, as a solution to the insecurity problem, everyone should arm himself.

Aniagu condemned mopping up of arms, saying that wealthy people should, rather, procure arms for the less privileged to tackle insecurity head on.

He said: “What we are into is more than speaking grammar; we are in serious trouble. We need to talk to our people. We need to protect ourselves. Enugu is under siege. God is no longer protecting us. We should give our people arms to protect themselves.”