By CHARLES IWUOHA

A former Commissioner of Information in Ebonyi State, Mr Abia Onyike, has berated the state government over the rejection of Federal High Court judgement on the disbursement of Ebubeagu security outfit activities, saying that it is an invitation to anarchy.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abakiliki, the Ebonyi State capital, presided over by Justice Riman Fatun, had on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 disbanded the Ebubeagu security outfit citing human rights abuses.

The Ebonyi State Government during a press conference held on Wednesday at the old Executive chambers, government House, Abakiliki, described the ruling as miscarriage of justice.

But reacting on the rejection of the judgement by Ebonyi State Government at a press conference, Onyike in a statement on Friday said since the court judgement disbanding the militia organisation, agents of the state government have been terribly agitated

He said: “Since Tuesday, the 14th February, 2023 when the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki disbanded the Ebubeagu Militia Organization, agents of Ebonyi State Government have been terribly agitated. They have not hidden their disdain for the Judiciary and the rule of law.

“In their Press Conference of Wednesday, 15th February, 2023, the Government, led by Govenor David Umahi indicated their preparedness to disobey the orders of the Court.

“They described the judgement as ‘biased, miscarriage of justice and judicial rascality’. Then, they went ahead to assert that ‘Ebubeagu operations will continue to exist and nothing will stop their operations in the state’.”

Onyike, stated that as the one who took the State Government and Ebubeagu to court (Plaintiff), called on State Government and the general public that the orders by the Federal High Court which disbanded Ebubeagu was a declaratory order.

According to him, the issues involved are weighty human rights issues with proven and documented cases of human rights abuses, dehumanization of citizens, torture, and in some cases extra-judicial killings in some parts of the state.

“We may recall that on 10th March, 2022, shortly after I appeared on Arise TV to render comments relating to the governance of the state, Gov David Umahi and his cohorts were infuriated. What followed was the invasion of my residence in Abakaliki by EbubeAgu operatives,” Onyike said.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and Director, Media and Publicity of the party’s campaign council in Ebonyi, explained that Ebubeagu security outfit rained a volley of bullets on his house and shot sporadically for more than 30 minutes continuously.

“My windows and glasses were shattered. When I reported the matter to the appropriate authorities and accused Ebubeagu of being the masterminds of the gun attack on my residence.

“Their headman accused me of feigning the attack. He said that nobody attacked me, that I was the one who master-minded it. They continued their evil plot,” he said.

Continuing, Onyike said: “On the 9th of November, 2022, I was abducted and taken to the old Government House, where I was held hostage and subjected to merciless torturing, adding that it was on the basis that I took the matter to court.

“The orders of the Federal High Court are clear and unambiguous. The orders carried the message of immediacy and were intended to restore normalcy to a horrible and terrible situation occasioned by the excesses of the Ebubeagu killer squad, now declared illegal and unlawful.

“For the Umahi government to arrogantly inform the Ebonyi citizens that they are not willing to accept the Court ruling which the people were already celebrating, shows that Umahi has lost touch with reality.

“It could be true as suggested in some quarters that Gov Umahi has transformed himself into a warlord who may have vowed never to compromise on his continuous dehumanization of Ebonyi people, which has resulted to numerous communal wars with the accompanying loss if limbs and lives across the state.

“Instead of giving peace a chance, the Umahi Government has opted for continuing acts of impunity by organizing fake demonstrations in Court premises in the state capital.

This disgraceful and shameful act is an affront and a calculated act of intimidation and harassment on the Judicial Arm of Government.

“The use of government-sponsored youths to march round the courts is the height of political rascality and impunity by the Umahi Government.

“Gov Umahi’s latest strategy now is to create a new Vigilante outfit with similar features as EbubeAgu to continue terrorizing Ebonyians but that wicked and selfish plan cannot work as the moribund State House of Assembly which Umahi grounded must not be recalled to service such an evil plot.

“I humbly wish to appeal to the Security Agencies, the Police and the State Security Services to immediately embark upon the implementation of the disbanding of the unlawful and illegal terror outfit.

“Any attempt to undermine the judgement of the Federal High Court banning the Ebubeagu Militia in Ebonyi State may snowball into anarchy and crises in the state.”

He said the time has come to dismantle Gov Umahi’s tyrannical structures and to expunge his use of cruelty, raw aggression and elephantine furry in the running of Government in the state.

Added that the orders of the Federal High Court in Ebubeagu was automatic and already in force.

“Let the state Government go on appeal if they wish, but until a superior Court rules otherwise, Ebubeagu remains disbanded in the state.

“Governor Umahi’s desperate effort to create another killer squad to replace Ebubeagu should be resisted by the people through all legal and legitimate instruments at their disposal,” Onyike said.

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