THE ongoing horror in the South-East being perpetrated by suspected members of the outlawed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB)/ Eastern Security Network (ESN) is highly despicable. Hapless citizens are being hacked to death mindlessly, and many are being maimed and deprived of their livelihoods. Many children have been turned into orphans and mothers turned into widows by the bloodthirsty gangsters under the pretext of self-determination. The lives of public officials mandated to manage the resources of their respective states on behalf of the people are constantly threatened by the so-called agitators. The region has almost become ungovernable as the Nigerian State, as it were, can no longer guarantee the primary duty of government: security of life and property.

Life has become a nightmare for the people as the vampires parading themselves as ethnic agitators have created a dizzying climate of fear and apprehension in the land. Most of the indigenes of the zone who are resident and plying their trades in other parts of the country are afraid to travel home to transact business or reconnect with other members of their families, especially during festivities. The carnage has caused haemorrhage in the economic growth and development of the geopolitical zone whose people are famous for productive ventures and private enterprise. Prospective investors are avoiding the zone due to the spate of insecurity which has aggravated the rate of unemployment among the youth. With the prevalence of heinous crimes across the country, the virulent activities of the agitators have created a nightmare for sitting governors in the entire five states of the zone. They are chief security officers threatened by terrorists.

The governors are apparently disturbed by the frightening dimension that the wicked operations of the agitators have assumed. Ebubeagu, the regional security outfit put together by the governors remains crassly ineffectual due to political tendencies and other vagaries of the time, but some individual pragmatic measures embarked upon by the governors have had some salutary effects. Indeed, the governors are not giving up in the frantic bid to restore sanity, end the current carnage, and rekindle hope in the majority of their citizens. It is, of course, unarguable that those behind the savagery are not driven by the wishes and aspirations of the average Igbo person who is known for industry and enterprise. There is simply no logic in an individual or group killing those they ostensibly seek to protect. Those involved in the ceaseless killings, arson and looting of the armoury of security agencies are indeed enemies of the people and the Nigeria State. They must have a rethink on their killing spree and destruction of the patrimony of the Igbo ethnic nationality. The people must have respite; they have been traumatised for too long. Available records show that no fewer than 128 military and police personnel, as well as about two dozen civil defence officers and 31 community policing members, have been killed by suspected members of the ESN, an outfit poised to undermine and suffocate every symbol of the Nigerian State in the zone.

Apart from targeting high-profile individuals, among them traditional rulers and governors, the separatists also attack public institutions such as police posts, courts, and facilities belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other agencies, deploying lethal weapons, including AK-47 rifles, ammunition, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and native ammunition (charms). Last week, a number of persons were killed as the hoodlums attempted to enforce their sit-at-home order. The videos of the killings and brutalities are chilling; the gory scenes unleashed by the separatists are deeply traumatising. The victims were among the law-abiding citizens who had chosen to comply with the counter-directive by the governors indicating that they could go about their lawful businesses without fear of molestation.

We believe that all the major stakeholders in the zone have a responsibility to rein in the criminals and facilitate sustainable peace. Those instigating and perpetuating the orgy of violence and bloodshed live among the people. There should be serious synergy between all patriotic and sincere individuals and the organs of the Nigerian State to curb the reign of terror. Enough of the hide and seek game by some leaders in the zone; their soft, if not fond, attitude to the rampaging IPOB agitation initially regarded as an altruistic mission but which has led to wanton and incalculable damage to the region, is suspicious. The unwholesome activities of IPOB/ESN have inflicted agony on the psyche of the people.

Gripping scenes of the agitators tormenting pupils, brutalising men and women, shooting persons going about their legitimate business, and pulling down structures in the rabid bid to enforce compliance with an illegitimate sit-at-home order represents nothing but sheer insanity. Therefore, leaders of thought in the South-East must go beyond rhetoric; they must rise above all forms of narrow barriers to build consensus on a realistic and practical route to ending the conscienceless killings. The carnage, we insist, is a national calamity. The anarchy cannot be seen as an isolated disaster given the security crises and pent-up anger in other parts of the country. That is why the government must develop a coherent national strategy to deal with insecurity. The virulent IPOB agitation in the South-East has the potential to destroy social, economic and developmental prosperity and growth of other parts of the country if not curbed now.

Indeed, the warmongering IPOB factional leader, Simon Ekpa, has just called a 14-day sit-at-home in the entire South-East at a time the elders and leaders of thought from the region are about to hold a meeting with the Federal Government to save the zone from the destruction being orchestrated by the separatist organisation. The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanu, held a meeting with the South-East governors, senators, members of the house of representatives and other stakeholders on Monday. Among the vital issues discussed was the state of insecurity in the South-East. It was noted that the daily loss of lives and properties in the zone required urgent attention by the Presidency. It was therefore resolved that a high-powered Igbo delegation would meet with the Presidency to fashion out solutions to the challenge.

The horror Indeed has to stop. The South-East needs a solemn assembly; the state governments and the Federal Government must find a solution to this menace, as the prevailing situation challenges the integrity of the Nigerian State. It seems as if there is no end to the reign of death that has become the norm in the South-East. Nigerians residing in the zone have been victims of unspeakable terror and brutality with the government being unable to do anything to protect them. This is the situation as the governors, particularly the newly sworn-in ones, have been asking the people not to obey the stay-at home order. There is repeated onslaught of killings to show the utter ineffectiveness of the governors and their structures of governance and security in this regard.

The governments, under the direction of the Federal Government, must do more. They cannot continue leaving the people to suffer the current orgy of violence and anarchy. They must come together and provide the real security cover that would ensure a cessation of the ugly situation. We reiterate that the current state of life in the South-East challenges the authority of the Nigerian State and that the government must restore order and security in the zone, if only to reassert the power and sovereignty of the Nigerian State. The anarchy in the South-East must be halted forthwith. (Nigerian Tribune)

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