4,000 more said to be on the way 

RESIDENTS and traders in Ekwulobia community, Aguata Local Council of Anambra state and environs yesterday took to the streets to protest reported arrival of 47 captured Boko Haram insurgents to the Nigeria Prisons Ekwulobia on Sunday night.

The protest , which one of the leaders, a trader, said may continue for as long as necessary, was because of information made available to them that 4, 000 of the detained insurgents were actually scheduled to arrive prisons in the state , including the newly completed Nnewi Prison.

Ekwulobia Prison was built for 85 inmates but at present has 135, before the arrival of the 47 Boko Haram suspects on Sunday. The traders and residents matched round major streets in the community carrying placards with inscriptions as: “Please save our state from Boko Haram insurgents”; “Ekwulobia doesn’t need Boko Haram prisoners”;

“Why Ekwulobia of all the towns, Why Anambra State of all the states”, “We don’t want to be scared of our own town” Is this the way to deal with Anambraa State for not voting for All Progressives Congress” and many others.

The protesting traders and residents in Ekwulobia and old Aguata and Orumba North and South local councils were joined by members of South East Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, (SEMATAS).

The President General of SEMATAS Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo and Coordinator South East Markets Amalgamated Traders Association Chief Gozie Akudolu, said people of South east zone had had enough trouble and did not need the extra burden of bringing captured terrorists in their midst.

Ezenwankwo said they had “confirmed that Boko Haram detainees were brought on Sunday 28 June night under tight security. “Our worry is that their friends will be visiting them in the prisons and they will be coming with all types of dangerous plans. Before you know it, we will be talking of jail beaks and if it happens we are in trouble.

“We know the antecedents of these heartless and blood thirsty insurgents. They do not have human sympathy and they killed a many Igbo traders resident in the North. Why are they being brought here, is it to come and remind us of what we are trying to forget? This is unacceptable to us” he said.