Rep: Some South East governors benefitting from insecurity

Akinwande Soji-Ojo

A member of the House of Representatives representing Ideato Federal Constituency of Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, has said that some South East governors have failed to bring an end to the crisis in the region because they are benefitting from it.

Ugochinyere stated this while featuring on Arise TV on Wednesday.

Speaking on the incessant security challenges in the South East zone,he said leaders from the region must sit down to find a common ground over the issue of insecurity.

“There’s so much power that the president has in the constitution that he could use to bring this matter to a close within the shortest possible time. But the South East leaders need to sit down to find a common ground over this issue of insecurity.

“The most important thing is that we want peace in the South East because everywhere is devastated. Erosion is killing us. Infrastructure has collapsed. And then we cannot even sleep because our houses are being burnt and our people are being killed. This is not good.

“Any leader that wants the progress and unity of Nigeria definitely will open his doors to allow stakeholders to come in to allow stakeholders to find a lasting solution. And I’ve this believe that the present administration going by what they say that they’ll run an inclusive administration and that they’ll ensure that there’s unity across all parts of this country, will consider the release of Nnamdi Kanu as a critical step towards that part of finding that lasting solution.

“On my individual capacity on this live TV, I can tell you that some of the governors in the South East are enjoying this crisis because they’re benefitting from this atmosphere of insecurity.

“And some of them, let me say boldly without mincing any words; some governors recruited vigilante groups from neighbouring states into their states’ security architecture and then what you see is that the same security vigilante they recruited turned out to be unknown gunmen,” he said.

The outlawed secessionist group, Indigeneous People of Biafra had in August 2021, introduced a sit-at-home order every Monday across the South East to pressure the Nigerian government to release its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is standing trial on treason charges at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The separatist group later suspended the order and said it would only be implemented on the days Kanu appears in court.

However, gunmen said to be the security arm of the group have continued to enforce the suspended order.