Newly sworn-in House of Representatives Member for Ihiala Federal Constituency (APGA), Hon. Dr Pascal Agbodike, has raised the alarm that all the communities in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State are still under attack by gunmen.

The legislator revealed that the perpetrators of these nefarious activities in the Council Area are using uncompleted buildings and bush paths as their hideouts from where they unleash terror on innocent citizens.

He noted that the level of insecurity in the area has reached alarming heights.

Agbodike raised the alarm while speaking with journalists in Awka on Sunday, shortly after a Thanksgiving Church Service to mark his inauguration. He declared his resolve to do everything within his power to solve issues of insecurity and restore normalcy, enabling the people of Ihiala to have a new lease on life.

According to him, people living in the council area no longer sleep with both eyes closed. Ihiala LGA has become a special case in Nigeria, with a majority of people rendered homeless. There has been no consideration from the Federal Government for the affected people. In the just concluded 2023 elections, people found it difficult to cast their votes due to fear of being attacked by unknown gunmen.

“The State Government has done its best, but this time around, the Federal Government should intervene seriously with various palliative measures to alleviate the suffering of the people. The FG’s intervention should not only involve the deployment of troops but also dialogue and granting amnesty to the teeming unemployed youths in the area. I strongly believe that with the aforementioned measures, the unrest will be a thing of the past,” he said.

He called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to urgently address the situation.

In addition, he urged the federal government to create no fewer than 50,000 job opportunities for youths in the area, which is considered a flashpoint of insecurity in the South East. He also emphasized that amnesty should be granted to those detained as part of the rebuilding strategy.

Hon. Agbodike, who was the immediate past Deputy Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, pointed out that a collaborative effort among stakeholders, including federal and state governments, was needed for a sustainable solution to security challenges across the country.

The Nigerian Tribune gathered that Ihiala local government is among the council areas under attack by gunmen in the Eastern region of Nigeria. (Nigerian Tribune)

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